Component suction device, component mounting apparatus and component mounting method

ABSTRACT

The component suction device includes a suction nozzle ( 10 ) for sucking and holding a component ( 20 ), a nozzle turning device ( 25 ) for holding the suction nozzle and turning the suction nozzle, and a nozzle up-and-down device ( 26 ) which is located upward of the nozzle turning device and which is connected to the suction nozzle to serve for moving up and down the suction nozzle along an axial direction of the suction nozzle.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a component suction device forsucking up and holding a component, which is to be mounted onto acircuit-forming body such as a board, and then turning the component toits mounting-posture angle before mounting the component onto thecircuit-forming body, also to a component mounting apparatus equippedwith the component suction device, and further to a component mountingmethod for sucking up and holding a component, which is to be mountedonto a circuit-forming body such as a board, and then turning thecomponent to its mounting-posture angle before mounting the componentonto the circuit-forming body.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] As this type of component suction device, those of variousstructures have been known conventionally. For example, as shown in FIG.22, there has been provided a component mounting apparatus equipped witha mounting head 307 having as component suction devices, for example,ten nozzles 304 that are made turnable all together and selectivelyup-and-down movable. This mounting head 307 is moved to the componentfeed device side, sucking and holding components from component feedpositions of individual component cassettes of component supply devices,then moves to a recognition device to recognize the postures of thesucked-and-held components. Thereafter, the mounting head 307 moves tothe board onto which the components are to be mounted, and based on therecognition result, mount the components at mounting positions of theboard.

[0003] In this case, the mounting head 307 is so designed that foradjustment of the turning postures of components by turning theindividual nozzles 304 about their axes, and the ten nozzles 304, . . ., 304 are simultaneously turned to the same angle by driving oneturn-actuating motor 311. Also, for suction and mounting of components,only specified nozzles 304 out of the ten nozzles 304, . . . , 304 areselectively moved down to a specified extent by driving cylinders 310based on the switching of valves so as to be protruded lower than theother nozzles, and then the whole mounting head 307 is moved down by thedrive of a up-and-down motor 312.

[0004] However, with component suction devices of the above structure,there has been a demand for making it possible to turn the nozzlesindependently of one another in the case where further shorter mountingcycle time is desired. That is, when the nozzles are turned aftercomponent recognition and before component mounting, all the nozzlesneed to be turned at once to a correction angle of a nozzle holding acomponent which is to be next mounted, and after the mounting with thenozzle, all the nozzles need to be turned at once to a correction angleof a nozzle holding a component which is to be next mounted, followed bymounting with the nozzle. Thus, it has been the case that mountingoperation is enabled only after each nozzle is turned and corrected. Ithas been impossible to turn all the nozzles to their respective desiredangles at the same timing.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve theabove-described issues and provide a component suction device capable ofturning a plurality of component suction nozzles individually up anddown and about their axes, respectively.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0006] In accomplishing these and other aspects, according to a firstaspect of the present invention, there is provided a component suctiondevice for sucking a component which is to be mounted onto acircuit-forming body, comprising:

[0007] a suction nozzle for sucking and holding the component;

[0008] a nozzle turning device for holding the suction nozzle andturning the suction nozzle; and

[0009] a nozzle up-and-down device which is located upward of the nozzleturning device and which is connected to the suction nozzle to serve formoving up and down the suction nozzle along an axial direction of thesuction nozzle.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the first aspect,wherein the nozzle up-and-down device is implemented by an up-and-downlinear motor for moving up and down the nozzle turning device along theaxis of the suction nozzle, and wherein the nozzle turning device ismoved up and down by driving the up-and-down linear motor, whereby thesuction nozzle is moved up and down along the axis of the suctionnozzle.

[0011] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to any one of the first tothird aspects, wherein a coil is up-and-down movable relative to amagnetic-circuit forming member fixed to a mechanism forming member ofthe linear motor and wherein the nozzle turning device is fixed to asupport member that supports the coil.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus comprising a mounting headhaving a plurality of component suction devices as described in any oneof the first to third aspects, wherein

[0013] the nozzle turning devices of the plurality of component suctiondevices are driven individually and independently of one another, andthe nozzle up-and-down devices of the plurality of component suctiondevices are driven individually and independently of one another.

[0014] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus comprising:

[0015] a mounting head having a plurality of component suction devicesas described in any one of the first to third aspects; and

[0016] a main controller for controlling operations of: turningcomponents, which have been sucked and held by the suction nozzles,respectively, of the plurality of component suction devices, to placingposture angles of the individual components by drive of the nozzleturning devices; thereafter, recognizing postures of the individualcomponents that have been sucked and held by the suction nozzles andturned to their placing posture angles; correcting the postures based onrecognition results; and thereafter mounting the individual componentsonto the circuit-forming body.

[0017] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus according to the fourth aspect,wherein the main controller controls to simultaneously turn thecomponents sucked and held by the suction nozzles, respectively, toplacing posture angles of the individual components by drive of thenozzle turning devices.

[0018] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus comprising:

[0019] a mounting head having a plurality of component suction devicesas described in any one of the first to third aspects; and

[0020] a main controller for controlling operations of: simultaneouslyturning components, which have been sucked and held by the suctionnozzles, respectively, of the plurality of component suction devices, toplacing posture angles of the individual components by drive of thenozzle turning devices; thereafter, placing the individual components,which have been turned to their placing posture angles, onto thecircuit-forming body.

[0021] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus comprising:

[0022] a mounting head having a plurality of component suction devicesas described in any one of the first to third aspects; and

[0023] a main controller for controlling operation of: immediately aftersucking and holding components by the suction nozzles of the pluralityof component suction devices, turning the individual components to theirrespective placing posture angles by drive of the nozzle turning devicesof the individual component suction devices individually andindependently of one another; and thereafter placing the individualcomponents, which have been turned to their placing posture angles, ontothe circuit-forming body.

[0024] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting method for sucking and holding components,which are to be mounted onto a circuit-forming body, with a plurality ofsuction nozzles and thereafter placing the sucked and held componentsonto the circuit-forming body, the method comprising:

[0025] turning the individual components, which have been sucked andheld respectively by the suction nozzles, to placing posture angles ofthe components individually and independently of one another;

[0026] thereafter, recognizing postures of the individual componentsthat have been sucked and held by the suction nozzles and turned totheir respective placing posture angles; and

[0027] thereafter, correcting the postures based on recognition resultsand then placing the individual components onto the circuit-formingbody.

[0028] According to a 10th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting method according to the ninth aspect,wherein in turning the individual components, which have been sucked andheld respectively by the suction nozzles, to placing posture angles ofthe components individually and independently of one another, thecomponents, which have been sucked and held respectively by theplurality of suction nozzles, are simultaneously turned to the placingposture angles of the individual components.

[0029] According to an 11th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting method according to the ninth aspect,wherein in turning the individual components, which have been sucked andheld respectively by the suction nozzles, to placing posture angles ofthe components individually and independently of one another, theindividual components are turned to their respective placing postureangles individually and independently of one another, immediately afterthe sucking and holding of the components by the suction nozzles.

[0030] According to a 12th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus comprising:

[0031] a mounting head having a plurality of component suction devicesas described in any one of the first to third aspects;

[0032] a main controller which is located on acomponent-mounting-apparatus main body and which controls componentmounting operation;

[0033] a head controller which is located on the mounting head andconnected to the main controller to perform one-to-one asynchronouscommunications in serial connection with the main controller inassociation with drive-control related information; and

[0034] a plurality of servo drivers which are located on the mountinghead and connected to the head controller and which perform one-to-multisynchronous communications in serial connection with the head controllerin association with drive-control related information and thus drive andcontrol the nozzle up-and-down devices of the individual componentsuction devices based on resulted drive-control related informationobtained from the head controller.

[0035] According to a 13th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus according to the 12th aspect,wherein

[0036] the plurality of servo drivers have addresses different from oneanother; and

[0037] the drive-control related information comprises: drive-amountinformation containing addresses of the servo drivers, and informationas to drive amounts for the nozzle up-and-down device or the nozzleturning device; and an operation start signal to be communicated at atiming different from that of the drive-amount information, whereinafter the drive-control related information has been received by theservo drivers having the addresses, the servo drivers, upon receivingthe operation start signal, exert control so that the nozzle up-and-downdevice or the nozzle turning device is driven based on the drive-amountinformation.

[0038] According to a 14th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus according to any one of thefourth to eighth aspects, wherein after the components are sucked andheld by their corresponding suction nozzles of the plurality ofcomponent suction devices and before the component recognition isstarted, the individual nozzle up-and-down devices are driven to movethe suction nozzles up and down so that bottom faces of the individualcomponents are aligned.

[0039] According to a 15th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device for sucking a component which is tobe mounted onto a circuit-forming body, comprising:

[0040] a drive shaft which is up-and-down movable and rotatable aboutits axis;

[0041] a suction nozzle which is fitted at a lower end of the driveshaft so as to be relatively unturnable and up-and-down relativelyimmovable and which can suck and hold the component;

[0042] a θ-turn driving motor which is connected to an upper portion ofthe drive shaft so as to be up-and-down relatively movable andrelatively unturnable and which turns the drive shaft about its axis;and

[0043] an up-and-down driver device which has a first coupling sectionconnected to the drive shaft up-and-down relatively immovably andrelatively turnably and which drives up and down the first couplingsection to thereby drive the drive shaft up and down.

[0044] According to a 16th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 15th aspect,wherein the drive shaft is provided in a plural number and each of thedrive shafts is equipped with the up-and-down driver device and theθ-turn driving motor, and wherein array pitches of the up-and-downdriver devices and the θ-turn driving motors are equal to an array pitchof the suction nozzles and further equal to an array pitch of aplurality of component feed sections of a component feed device whichfeeds the components to be sucked and held by the suction nozzles.

[0045] According to a 17th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 15th or 16thaspect, wherein the up-and-down driver device is a linear motor.

[0046] According to an 18th second aspect of the present invention,there is provided a component suction device according to any one of the15th to 17th aspects, wherein the θ-turn driving motor is a brushlessmotor.

[0047] According to a 19th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to any one of the 15th to18th aspects, further comprising a suction control valve for controllingsuction operation of the nozzle.

[0048] According to a 20th aspect of- the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 18th aspect,wherein the brushless motor comprises:

[0049] a rotor which is supported so as to be axially turnable and whichis magnetized to a plurality of poles peripherally; and a stator inwhich a fore end portion of teeth having a coil wound around a toothwinding portion is opposed to an outer periphery of the rotor, so thatthe rotor is turned along with a rotating magnetic field of the stator,and wherein

[0050] the fore end portion of each of the teeth of the stator is shapedinto a circular-arc surface extending along the outer periphery of therotor, and the tooth winding portions are formed parallel to oneanother.

[0051] According to a 21st aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 20th aspect,wherein in the brushless motor, the stator is so formed that thecircular-arc surfaces of the fore end portions of the teeth confrontingthe outer periphery of the rotor have a symmetrical slot pitch.

[0052] According to a 22nd aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 20th or 21staspect, wherein in the brushless motor, the stator has a thickness alongthe axis of the rotor and has such a flat shape along an end face of therotor that a first length formed by connecting 0° and 180° to each otherabout the axis is shorter than a second length formed by connecting 90°and 270° to each other.

[0053] According to a 23rd aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 22nd aspect,wherein in the brushless motor,

[0054] the flat-type stator is formed of first, second stator blockswhich contact each other at a boundary of connection between the 0° and180° about the axis.

[0055] According to a 24th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 23rd aspect,wherein in the brushless motor,

[0056] each stator block of the first stator block and the second statoris composed of a plurality of tooth blocks which are joined together sothat a magnetic path is formed by base end portions of their toothwinding portions.

[0057] According to a 25th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 24th aspect,wherein in the brushless motor,

[0058] the flat-type stator is formed of a single stator block.

[0059] According to a 26th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 24th aspect,wherein in the brushless motor,

[0060] the flat-type stator has

[0061] grooves which serve as the tooth winding portion and which areformed thicknesswise in a side surface of the stator crossing adirection of the first length, where

[0062] an outermost peripheral surface of the coil wound on the groovesis positioned so as to be flush with the side surface or inner than theside surface.

[0063] According to a 27th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 17th aspect,wherein the linear motor includes:

[0064] a plurality of frame coils provided inside a cylindrical outeryoke on a stationary side;

[0065] an inner yoke having a plurality of teeth in which a magneticcommunicating portion is formed at at least one end so as to passthrough the frame coils; and

[0066] magnets provided on both surfaces of each tooth so that teeth inwhich faces opposed to the frame coils have a single polarity adjoin toeach other in polarity different from each other, where

[0067] a magnetic flux radiated from a specific magnet out of themagnets flows to an adjacent tooth via the outer yoke, passing throughthe magnetic communicating portion, and flowing through the tooth onwhich the specific magnet is provided, and thus flowing back to thespecific magnet, and wherein

[0068] with an electric current supplied to the frame coil, a movableside composed of the magnets and the inner yoke moves longitudinally ofthe teeth.

[0069] According to a 28th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 27th aspect,wherein in the linear motor, the inner yoke is U-shaped.

[0070] According to a 29th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 27th aspect,wherein in the linear motor, the frame coil has an opening face havingsuch a rectangular shape that a length of its side line opposite to themagnet is longer than a length of its span section.

[0071] According to a 30th aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 28th aspect,wherein the linear motor includes:

[0072] an inner yoke having a plurality of teeth in which a magneticcommunicating portion is formed at at least one end thereof;

[0073] an outer yoke which externally surrounds the plurality of tooth;

[0074] magnets provided opposite to both faces of the teeth inside theouter yoke so that their faces of the magnets opposed to the teeth areof a single pole and the faces opposed to their respective adjoiningteeth are different in polarity from each other;

[0075] coils wound on the individual teeth of the inner yoke;

[0076] a magnetic flux radiated from a specific magnet out of themagnets flows to an adjacent tooth via the outer yoke, passing throughthe magnetic communicating portion, and flowing through the toothopposing the specific magnet, and thus flowing back to the specificmagnet, and wherein

[0077] with an electric current supplied to the coil, a movable sidecomposed of the magnets and the outer yoke moves in a longitudinaldirection of the teeth.

[0078] According to a 31st aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the 30th aspect,wherein in the linear motor, the teeth each have such a rectangularshape that a length of its side line opposite to the magnet is longerthan a length of a connection side connecting the opposite side lines toeach other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0079] These and other aspects and features of the present inventionwill become clear from the following description taken in conjunctionwith the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

[0080]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a component suctiondevice according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0081]FIG. 2 is an overall schematic perspective view of a componentmounting apparatus on which the component suction device according tothe first embodiment of the present invention is mounted;

[0082]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mounting head of the componentmounting apparatus equipped with the component suction device;

[0083]FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the relationship between themain controller, which is the control section of the component mountingapparatus, and other devices or members;

[0084]FIGS. 5A and 5B are an exploded perspective view of the nozzleup-and-down device and a partial sectional view of the nozzle turningdevice in the component suction device;

[0085]FIG. 6 is a timing chart of X- and Y-direction moves of themounting head, up-and-down operation and turning operation of thenozzles, and the like in the component mounting apparatus of the firstembodiment;

[0086]FIG. 7 is a flowchart of X- and Y-direction moves of the mountinghead, up-and-down operation and turning operation of the nozzles, orother mounting operations in the component mounting apparatus of thefirst embodiment;

[0087]FIG. 8 is a timing chart of X- and Y-direction moves of themounting head, up-and-down operation and turning operation of thenozzles, and the like in the component mounting apparatus of the priorart;

[0088]FIG. 9 is a flowchart of X- and Y-direction moves of the mountinghead, up-and-down operation and turning operation of the nozzles, orother mounting operations in the component mounting apparatus of theprior art;

[0089]FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a state in which bottomfaces of components sucked and held by ten nozzles are adjusted to aspecified height in the component mounting apparatus of the firstembodiment;

[0090]FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C are an explanatory view showing therelationship among the main controller, head controller, servo driver,motor, and memory, an explanatory view of information stored in acomponent database, and an explanatory view of component-feed-cassettearrangement data, respectively;

[0091]FIG. 12 is a flowchart of another example of X- and Y-directionmoves of the mounting head, up-and-down operation and turning operationof the nozzles, or other mounting operations in the component mountingapparatus of the first embodiment;

[0092]FIG. 13 is an explanatory view of the control section composed ofthe main controller, the head controller, the servo drivers, and thelike in the component mounting apparatus of the first embodiment;

[0093]FIG. 14 is a schematic explanatory view of the control sectioncomposed of the main controller, the head controller, the servo drivers,and the like in the component mounting apparatus of the firstembodiment;

[0094]FIG. 15 is a schematic explanatory view of the control sectioncomposed of a main controller, an NC board, servo drivers, and the likein the component mounting apparatus of the prior art;

[0095]FIG. 16 is a detailed explanatory view of the control sectioncomposed of the head controller, servo drivers, and the like in thecomponent mounting apparatus of the first embodiment;

[0096]FIGS. 17A and 17B are an explanatory view showing a state thatadjustment to a recognition height H01 cannot be achieved at thecomponent recognition by the mounting head, and an explanatory viewshowing a distortion occurring due to thermal changes of the nozzles orthe like in representation of solid-line nozzle and dotted-line nozzle,respectively, in the component mounting apparatus of the prior art;

[0097]FIG. 18 is an explanatory view showing a state in whichdifferences in component thickness are absorbed by contracting, toextents of component thickness differences, springs provided for theindividual nozzles of the mounting head, in the component mountingapparatus of the prior art;

[0098]FIG. 19 is an overall schematic perspective view of a componentmounting apparatus with a component suction device mounted thereonaccording to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0099]FIG. 20 is a partial perspective view of the component mountingapparatus of the FIG. 19;

[0100]FIG. 21 is a flowchart of X- and Y-direction moves of the mountinghead, Y-axis direction move of the Y-table, up-and-down operation andturning operation of the nozzles, or other mounting operations in thecomponent mounting apparatus of the second embodiment;

[0101]FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the prior-art mounting head;

[0102]FIGS. 23A and 23B are explanatory views for explaining aplacing-position shift during the turning of a nozzle in the cases wherethe nozzle is not subjected to effects of heat or the like and where itis, respectively;

[0103]FIG. 24 is a front view of a mounting head equipped with tencomponent suction devices according to a third embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0104]FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the component suction device ofFIG. 24;

[0105]FIG. 26 is a partly sectional side view of the component suctiondevice of FIG. 24;

[0106]FIG. 27 is a front view of a drive shaft of the component suctiondevice of FIG. 24;

[0107]FIG. 28 is a sectional view of a spline shaft part of the driveshaft of the component suction device of FIG. 24;

[0108]FIG. 29 is a partly sectional side view of the component suctiondevice at the upper-end position of the nozzle in the component suctiondevice of FIG. 24;

[0109]FIG. 30 is a partly sectional side view of the component suctiondevice at the lower-end position of the nozzle in the component suctiondevice of FIG. 24;

[0110]FIG. 31 is a front view of a voice coil motor of the componentsuction device of FIG. 24;

[0111]FIG. 32 is a left side view of the voice coil motor of thecomponent suction device of FIG. 31;

[0112]FIG. 33 is a sectional view of the voice coil motor of thecomponent suction device of FIG. 31, taken along the line B-B of FIG.31;

[0113]FIG. 34 is a sectional view of the voice coil motor of thecomponent suction device of FIG. 31, taken along the line A-A of FIG.32;

[0114]FIG. 35 is a perspective view of the prior-art mounting head forexplaining the life of bearings;

[0115]FIGS. 36A and 36B are explanatory views of turning operation ofnozzles of the prior-art mounting head for explaining the life ofbearings, respectively;

[0116]FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the mounting head of the thirdembodiment for explaining the life of bearings;

[0117]FIGS. 38A and 38B are explanatory views of turning operation of anozzle of the mounting head of the third embodiment for explaining thelife of bearings, respectively;

[0118]FIG. 39 is an exploded perspective view of mechanical part of abrushless motor which is a first example of a θ-turn driving motoraccording to the third embodiment of the present invention;

[0119]FIG. 40 is a perspective view of the assembly of the first-examplebrushless motor of FIG. 39;

[0120]FIG. 41 is an enlarged sectional view of the first-examplebrushless motor of FIG. 39;

[0121]FIG. 42 is an enlarged sectional view showing a concreteconfiguration example of the first-example brushless motor of FIG. 39;

[0122]FIG. 43 is a perspective view of a stator of a brushless motorwhich is a second example of the θ-turn driving motor according to thethird embodiment of the present invention;

[0123]FIGS. 44A and 44B are an exploded perspective view of a statorblock of the brushless motor that is the third example of the θ-turndriving motor according to the third embodiment of the presentinvention, and an enlarged sectional view of the third example,respectively;

[0124]FIG. 45 is an explanatory view of a prior-art brushless motor;

[0125]FIGS. 46A and 46B are explanatory views of a coreless brushlessmotor according to the prior art, respectively;

[0126]FIG. 47 is an exploded perspective view of a linear motor which isa first example of the up-and-down driver device according to the thirdembodiment of the present invention;

[0127]FIG. 48 is a perspective view showing an assembled state of thefirst-example linear motor;

[0128]FIG. 49 is an enlarged sectional view showing a part of anassembled state of the first-example linear motor;

[0129]FIG. 50 is an explanatory view showing a state of magnetic fluxesof the first-example linear motor;

[0130]FIG. 51 is an appearance perspective view of a linear motor whichis a second example of the up-and-down driver device according to thethird embodiment of the present invention;

[0131]FIG. 52 is an explanatory view showing a state of magnetic fluxesof the second-example linear motor;

[0132]FIG. 53 is a plan view of a voice-coil type linear motor accordingto the prior art;

[0133]FIG. 54 is a plan view of a three-phase type linear motoraccording to the prior art; and

[0134]FIG. 55 is a side view of another example of the linear motoraccording to the prior art.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0135] Before the description of the present invention proceeds, it isto be noted that like parts are designated by like reference numeralsthroughout the accompanying drawings.

[0136] A component suction device 15 according to a first embodiment ofthe present invention is, as shown in FIG. 1, a component suction devicefor sucking up a component 20 which is to be mounted onto acircuit-forming body, for example, a board 2. The component suctiondevice 15 includes a suction nozzle 10 for sucking and holding thecomponent 20, a nozzle turning device 25 for holding the suction nozzle10 and turning the suction nozzle 10, and a nozzle up-and-down device 26which is disposed upper than the nozzle turning device 25 and connectedto the suction nozzle 10 and which moves the suction nozzle 10 up anddown along the axis of the suction nozzle 10.

[0137] The term “circuit-forming body” herein refers to circuit boardssuch as resin boards, paper-phenol boards, ceramic boards, glass epoxyboards, and film boards, circuit boards such as single-layer boards ormulti-layer boards, and objects with circuits formed thereon such ascomponents, casings, and frames. Also, the term “component” includeselectronic components, mechanical components, optical components, andthe like.

[0138]FIG. 2 shows an overall schematic perspective view of a componentmounting apparatus which has two sets of mounting head 4 equipped withten component suction devices 15, . . . , 15 as described above andwhich performs component mounting operation, and FIG. 3 shows aperspective view of the mounting head 4. This component mountingapparatus has two mounting sections, a front-side mounting section MU1that is placed obliquely left-downward in FIG. 2 and a rear-sidemounting section MU2 that is placed obliquely right-upward, where theindividual mounting sections are enabled to perform component mountingoperations such as component suction, recognition, and placementindependently of one another to each board. It is noted that thecomponent mounting operation refers to, for example, component suction,component carriage, component recognition, component placing operationand the like.

[0139] In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a loader for carrying in acircuit board 2-0 (circuit boards are denoted by numeral 2 when referredto regardless of their positions, and boards of specific positions aredenoted by numerals 2-0, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 etc.), and numeral 11 denotes anunloader for carrying out the circuit board 2-3. Numeral 3 denotes aboard carrying-and-holding device as an example of acircuit-forming-body holding device which is provided in each mountingsection and which carries and holds the board 2 carried in from theloader 1, numeral 4 denotes a mounting head which is provided in eachmounting section and has the component suction devices 15 and equippedwith a plurality, for example, ten of component suction nozzles 10 thatsuck and hold the components 20, the component suction nozzles 10 beingreplaceable, numeral 5 denotes an X-Y robot 5 which is provided in eachmounting section and which positions the mounting head 4 to a specifiedposition in the X- and Y-directions, which are two perpendiculardirections within the component-mounting working area, and numeral 7denotes a nozzle station 7 which is provided near a component feeddevice 8A in the individual component-mounting working area of eachmounting section and which accommodates therein a plurality of kinds ofcomponent suction nozzles 10 suited to a plurality of kinds ofcomponents 20 and, as required, replaces them with nozzles 10 set on themounting head 4. Numerals 8A, 8B denote component-parts-cassette typecomponent feed devices which are provided at a shallow-side i.e.front-side end portion and a deep-side i.e. rear-side end portion,respectively, of the component-mounting working areas with respect tothe operator, and which has a plurality of component feed cassettes 80for accommodating the components 20, which are to be mounted onto theboard 2, one by one into, for example, component-accommodation recessedportions of carrier tapes, and for feeding the components 20 one by oneto component feed positions 89, numeral 8C denotes a tray type componentfeed device 8C which is provided near each component feed device 8B andwhich accommodates thereon tray components accommodated and held in atray-like manner and being to be mounted onto the board 2, and numeral 9denotes a two-dimensional or three-dimensional recognition camera whichis provided in vicinity of each component feed device 8A and on a nearside of the center of the component-mounting working area and whichpicks up the suction posture images of the components 20 sucked by thenozzles 10 of each mounting head 4.

[0140] The X-Y robot 5 is constituted as follows. Two Y-axis drivesections 6 a, 6 a of the X-Y robot 5 are fixedly set at front-and-rearend edges of component-mounting working areas 200 of the individualmounting sections on a mounting apparatus base 16, and two X-axis drivesections 6 b, 6 c are extended over these two Y-axis drive sections 6 a,6 a so as to be movable independently in the Y-axis direction andcapable of avoiding collisions, where the mounting head 4 that moveswithin the front-side half mounting area of the component-mountingworking area is disposed on the X-axis drive section 6 b so as to bemovable in the X-axis direction, while the mounting head 4 that moveswithin the rear-side half mounting area of the component-mountingworking area is disposed on the X-axis drive section 6 c. In each of theY-axis drive sections 6 a and the X-axis drive sections 6 b, 6 c, thedrive section is constructed by X-Y robot motors 6 y, 6 x, ball screwsthat are driven forward and reverse by the motors 6 y, 6 x, andadvanceable and retreatable members in which members to be moved arescrewed with the ball screws and which are moved by the forward andreverse rotation of the ball screws based on the forward and reverserotation drive of the motors 6 y, 6 x. The motors 6 y, 6 x aredrive-controlled by an X-Y robot controller 1010 which is controlled bya later-described main controller 1000.

[0141] Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the main controller 1000 forcontrolling the board carriage-in and carriage-out, component holding,component recognition, component placing operation and the like is alsoprovided, and the component feed devices 8A, 8B, the component feedcassettes 80, the mounting heads 4, the recognition cameras 9, the boardcarrying-and-holding devices 3, the X-Y robots 5, a memory 910, theloader 1, the unloader 11, and the like are connected. In the memory 910are stored NC data showing mounting programs as to, for example, whichcomponent are mounted, to which position and in which order they aremounted, arrangement programs as to, for example, which components arearranged on which component feed members, or arrangement information asto, for example, which components have been arranged on which componentfeed members, component libraries of component information as to theconfiguration, height, and the like of individual components, boardinformation as to the configuration of individual boards, and otherinformation as to the configuration of component suction nozzles and theboard carriage position for the individual board carrying-and-holdingdevices 3, or the like.

[0142] As a basic operation of this component mounting apparatus, underthe control of the main controller 1000, the front- and rear-side boardcarrying-and-holding devices 3 are driven to be moved toward the centerso that the front- and rear-side board carrying-and-holding devices 3are arrayed so as to be connected in line with the loader 1 and theunloader 11, and thereafter, the circuit board 2-2 is carried in fromthe loader 1 via the front-side board carrying-and-holding device 3 tothe rear-side board carrying-and-holding device 3, and also the circuitboard 2-1 is carried in from the loader 1 to the front-side boardcarrying-and-holding device 3, the individual circuit boards 2-1, 2-2being held by the front- and rear-side board carrying-and-holdingdevices 3. After that, by the drive of the front- and rear-side boardcarrying-and-holding devices 3, 3, the boards are moved from thecenter-side board carrying-and-holding positions to specified placingpositions near the component feed device 8A, respectively, as shown inFIG. 2.

[0143] Next, under the control of the main controller 1000, the each tensuction nozzles 10 are moved to, for example, suction preparatorypositions upward of the individual component feed positions 89 for theten component feed cassettes 80, respectively, by the mounting heads 4based on the drive of the individual X-Y robots 5.

[0144] Next, the each ten suction nozzles 10 move down simultaneouslyfrom the suction preparatory positions toward the component feedpositions 89 corresponding thereto, sucking and holding the tencomponents 20 located at the ten component feed positions 89,respectively, collectively and simultaneously or individually, and thenmove again up to the suction preparatory positions.

[0145] Next, by the drive of the individual X-Y robots 5, the suctionnozzles 10 move from the suction preparatory positions toward therecognition cameras 9, respectively, where while the each ten suctionnozzles 10 move above their corresponding recognition cameras 9, theindividual recognition cameras 9 recognize positions, postures, andconfigurations of the ten components 20.

[0146] Next, after the completion of recognition, based on therecognition results and under the control of the main controller 1000,the individual posture or position corrections of the ten components 20are performed, as required, by performing the X- and Y-direction drivecontrol of the mounting heads 4 (drive control of the X-Y robot motors 6y, 6 x by the X-Y robot controller 1010) or θ-rotation drive control ofthe individual suction nozzles 10 (drive control of a θ-axis motor 25 mby a servo driver 1002). Thereafter, the components 20 are set tospecified mounting positions of the boards 2, respectively.

[0147] Meanwhile, the component suction devices 15, in which the nozzleturning device 25 and the nozzle up-and-down device 26 of each suctionnozzle 10 are given in the same unit, each have the followingconstitution in detail.

[0148] First, as shown in FIG. 5A, the nozzle up-and-down device 26 isimplemented by an up-and-down linear motor 32 for moving up and down thenozzle turning device 25 along the axis of the suction nozzle 10. Thenozzle turning device 25 is moved up and down by driving the up-and-downlinear motor 32, by which the suction nozzle 10 is moved up and downalong the axis of the suction nozzle 10.

[0149] More specifically, in the nozzle up-and-down device 26, as shownin FIG. 5A, a magnetic-circuit forming member 26 a made of iron andmagnets into a rectangular frame shape is fixed on a surface of aplate-shaped mechanism-forming member 26 b of aluminum alloy or thelike, and an up-and-down movable linear motor coil 26 c within themagnetic-circuit forming member 26 a is disposed so as to be movable inthe up-and-down direction. The movable linear motor coil 26 c is fixedand supported on the surface of the mechanism forming member 26 b bybeing sandwiched between upper portions of a pair of support members 26s which are linearly guided in the up-and-down direction by linearguides 26 g. The θ-axis motor 25 m is fixed and supported at a lowerportion of these paired support members 26 s by being sandwiched fromboth sides thereby. In this arrangement, preferably, the center line ofthe θ-axis motor 25 m is placed at the center of a thrust occurring tothe linear motor 32 so that occurrence of unnecessary moment isprevented during up-and-down operations, by which swings due to theup-and-down operations are prevented. Therefore, the magnetic-circuitforming member 26 a and the linear motor coil 26 c constitute theup-and-down linear motor 32, where by an electric current supplied tothe linear motor coil 26 c, the linear motor coil 26 c is moved up anddown while guided by the linear guides 26 g within the magnetic-circuitforming member 26 a, by which the θ-axis motor 25 m coupled to thelinear motor coil 26 c with the pair of support members 26 s is moved upand down integrally with the linear motor coil 26 c. It is noted thatreference numeral 26 d denotes a cover of the up-and-down linear motor32. Also, an up-and-down amount detection sensor for detecting anup-and-down amount of the linear motor coil 26 c or the support members26 s is provided, so that a detected up-and-down amount is fed back tothe later-described servo driver 1002 that controls the drive of theup-and-down linear motor 32.

[0150] The nozzle turning device 25, as shown in FIG. 5B, support thesuction nozzle 10 by up-and-down bearings 25 b so that the suctionnozzle 10 is turnable, and an encoder 25 e is provided at an upper endof the suction nozzle 10, where a current position of the suction nozzle10 with respect to the origin position in its turning direction isdetected by the encoder 25 e, and a detected current position is fedback to the servo driver 1002 that controls the drive of the θ-axismotor 25 m. A cylindrical magnet 25 r is fixed on the central-part outerperiphery of the suction nozzle 10, and a stator 25 s is fixed to acasing 25 c of the nozzle turning device 25, where the cylindricalmagnet 25 r and the stator 25 s constitute the θ-axis motor 25 m. Asuction discharge chamber 25 d sandwiched by packings 25 a is formed atan upper portion of the suction nozzle 10, and an upper-end opening 10 cof the suction nozzle 10 is kept communicating with the suctiondischarge chamber 25 d at all times so as to be coupled to a airfeed/discharge passage 25 p via the suction discharge chamber 25 d. Bythe drive of an air feed/discharge device 50 which is connected to theair feed/discharge passage 25 p by being coupled to the airfeed/discharge passage 25 p via the suction discharge chamber 25 d andwhich is composed of a vacuum pump, a compressed-air feed device, andthe like, suction and discharge (blow) operations of the suction nozzle10 can be performed, when necessary, regardless of the turning positionof the suction nozzle 10 by, for example, opening and closing operationsand suction and discharge (blow) switching operations of valves 90 shownin FIG. 16.

[0151] Next, a variety of examples of operations of the ten componentsuction devices 15 are explained. First described is a case where tennozzles 10 move down independently, one by one, to perform componentsuction.

[0152] In this case, typically, a first component suction device 15-1and a second component suction device 15-2 are described with referenceto FIG. 3. After component feed from the component feed device 8A or 8Bby the suction nozzle 10-1 of the first component suction device 15-1and component suction-and-holding operation by the suction nozzle 10-1are performed, the suction nozzle 10-1 is subjected to a componentturning operation that the suction nozzle 10-1 is turned about the axis,for example, a θ-axis extending along the up-and-down direction by theθ-axis motor 25 m so as to be turned to its placing posture angle.Meanwhile, after component feed from the component feed device 8A or 8Bby the suction nozzle 10-2 of the second component suction device 15-2and component suction-and-holding operation by the suction nozzle 10-2are performed, the suction nozzle 10-2 is subjected to a turningoperation that the suction nozzle 10-2 is turned to its placing postureangle by the θ-axis motor 25 m, where the component suction-and-holdingoperation by the suction nozzle 10-2 of the second component suctiondevice 15-2 is started when the component turning operation by thesuction nozzle 10-1 of the first component suction device 15-1 isstarted. By doing so, while a suction operation by one suction nozzle 10is going on, another suction nozzle 10 is enabled to perform the turningoperation to the placing posture angle, so that the mounting time can bereduced greatly, as compared with cases where the turning operation forall the components to their placing posture angles is performed afterthe suction operation for all the components is done.

[0153] As another example, component suction, recognition, and placingoperations of ten components 20 may also be done simultaneously by tennozzles 10 by one operation. This is described in detail below withreference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0154] In FIG. 6, “M” denotes movement, “S” scanning operation, “YD”moving-down operation, “U” moving-up operation, “C” correctionoperation, “R” origin, “CS” component suction operation, “CSOFF” releaseof component suction, “B” blow operation, “CP” recognition processingoperation.

[0155] As a reference, operations in the prior art are described first.

[0156] In the prior art, as shown in FIG. 22, FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, themounting head 307 moves in the X-axis direction and/or the Y-axisdirection to above specified component feed positions of ten componentfeed cassettes (step S41 in FIG. 9), and the ten nozzles 304 are moveddown at a time from their move-enabled height positions, which are theirinitial positions, to their component-suction-enabled height positionsby the drive of the up-and-down motor 312, so that ten componentslocated at the component feed positions of the ten component feedcassettes are sucked and held by the ten nozzles 304 (step S42 in FIG.9). Thereafter, the ten nozzles 304 are moved at a time up from theircomponent-suction-enabled height positions to their move-enabled heightpositions by the drive of the up-and-down motor 312, i.e., returned tothe heightwise origin position (step S43 in FIG. 9).

[0157] In FIG. 8, “M” denotes movement, “S” scanning operation, “D”moving-down operation, “U” moving-up operation, “C” correctionoperation, “R” origin, “CS” component suction operation, “CSOFF” releaseof component suction, “B” blow operation, “CP” recognition processingoperation, “SL” selection.

[0158] Next, the head moves in the X-axis direction to the recognitionposition (step S44 in FIG. 9). After the ten nozzles 304 are moved downat a time from their move-enabled height positions to theircomponent-recognition-enabled height positions by the drive of theup-and-down motor 312 (step S45 in FIG. 9), moving linearly in onedirection above the recognition camera to thereby accomplish therecognition operation of the ten components sucked and held by the tennozzles 304 (step S46 in FIG. 9). Thereafter, by the drive of theup-and-down motor 312, the ten nozzles 304 are moved up at a time fromtheir component-recognition-enabled height positions to theirmove-enabled height positions, i.e., returned to the heightwise originposition (step S47 in FIG. 9).

[0159] Next, the mounting head 307 is moved to, for example, a componentmounting position for a component held by the first nozzle 304 (step S48in FIG. 9). Then, based on the recognition result, the first nozzle 304is turned about its axis from its turning-direction origin position to aposition corresponding to a total of placing posture angle andcorrection angle by the drive of the turn-actuating motor 311, therebycorrecting the posture angle of the held component (step S49 in FIG. 9).By the drive of the up-and-down motor 312, the first nozzle 304 alone isselected by a cylinder 310 and moved down from its move-enabled heightposition to its component-placing-enabled height position, by which thecomponent held by the first nozzle 304 is placed onto the board (stepS50 in FIG. 9). After that, by the drive of the up-and-down motor 312,the first nozzle 304 alone is moved up from itscomponent-placing-enabled height position to its move-enabled heightposition. Then, by the drive of the turn-actuating motor 311, the firstnozzle 304 is turned about its axis to the turning-direction originposition.

[0160] Subsequently, if component placing has not yet been completed forall the components held by the mounting head 307 (step S51 in FIG. 9),the program goes to the next mounting operation.

[0161] In the next mounting operation, the mounting head 307 is movedto, for example, a component mounting position for a component held bythe second nozzle 304 (step S48 in FIG. 9). Then, based on therecognition result, the second nozzle 304 is turned about its axis fromits turning-direction origin position to a position corresponding to atotal of placing posture angle and correction angle by the drive of theturn-actuating motor 311, by which the held component is corrected inposture angle (step S49 in FIG. 9). By the drive of the up-and-downmotor 312, the second nozzle 304 alone is selected by a cylinder 310 andmoved down from its move-enabled height position to itscomponent-placing-enabled height position, by which the component heldby the second nozzle 304 is mounted onto the board (step S50 in FIG. 9).After that, by the drive of the up-and-down motor 312, the second nozzle304 alone is moved up from its component-placing-enabled height positionto its move-enabled height position. Then, by the drive of theturn-actuating motor 311, the second nozzle 304 is turned about its axisto the turning-direction origin position.

[0162] From this on, similarly, the placing of the components held bythe third to tenth nozzles 304 onto the board is performed one afteranother (steps S48 to S51 in FIG. 9), the mounting head 307 moves toabove the specified component feed positions of the ten component feedcassettes for the next component suction operation in the X-axisdirection and/or Y-axis direction (step S41 in FIG. 9). From this on,the component suction, move to the recognition positions, componentrecognition, move to the component placing positions, correction ofcomponent posture angle, and component placing operation of steps S41 toS51 of FIG. 9 are iterated.

[0163] That is, in the prior art, since one nozzle 304 alone for nextplacing a component is turned after component recognition and subjectedto position correction and thereafter the placing operation onto theboard is performed, it has inevitably been involved to do two operationsfor each nozzle 304 that is over the recognition (step S46 in FIG. 9),i.e., turning-position correction (step S49 in FIG. 9) and componentplacing (step S50 in FIG. 9).

[0164] In contrast to this, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS.13 and 7, the mounting head 4 is moved by the drive of the X-Y robotmotors 6 y, 6 x of the X-Y robots 5 in the X-axis direction and/or theY-axis direction to above the specified component feed positions 89 ofthe ten component feed cassettes 80 (step S1 in FIG. 7), and the tennozzles 10 are moved down by the drive of the up-and-down linear motor32 of the nozzle up-and-down device 26 at a time from their move-enabledheight positions, which are their initial positions, to theircomponent-suction-enabled height positions so that the ten components 20located at the component feed positions of the ten component feedcassettes are sucked and held at a time by the ten nozzles 10 (step S2in FIG. 7). Thereafter, by the drive of the nozzle up-and-down device26, the ten nozzles 10 are moved up at a time from theircomponent-suction-enabled height positions to their move-enabled heightpositions, i.e., returned to the heightwise origin positions (step S3 inFIG. 7).

[0165] Next, while the mounting head 4 is moved by the drive of the X-Yrobots 5 to the recognition position in the X-axis direction (step S4 inFIG. 7), the nozzles 10 are turned about their respective axes from theturning-direction origin positions to their placing posture angles bythe drive of the nozzle turning device 25, by which the components 20held by those nozzles 10 are put into the placing posture (step S5 inFIG. 7).

[0166] Next, by the drive of the nozzle up-and-down device 26, the tennozzles 10 are moved down at a time from their move-enabled heightpositions to their component-recognition-enabled height positions (stepS6 in FIG. 7), and then moved linearly above the recognition camera 9,by which the recognition operation of the ten components 20 sucked andheld by the ten nozzles 10 is performed (step S7 in FIG. 7). Thereafter,by the drive of the nozzle up-and-down device 26, the ten nozzles 10 aremoved up at a time from their component-recognition-enabled heightpositions to their move-enabled height positions, i.e., returned to theheightwise origin position (step S8 in FIG. 7).

[0167] Next, while the mounting heads 4 is moved by the drive of the X-Yrobot 5 to, for example, a component placing position for a component 20held by the first nozzle 10 (step S9 in FIG. 7), the individual nozzles10 are turned concurrently about their axes from the placing postureangle to the correction positions based on the recognition result, bywhich the components 20 held by the individual nozzles 10 are correctedin posture angle (step S10 in FIG. 7). Therefore, at the time when themounting head 4 is placed at the component placing position for thecomponent 20 held by the first nozzle 10, the posture angle correctionfor all the nozzles 10 has been completed. In this operation, althoughall the nozzles 10 may be subjected to the posture angle correction,more appropriately, only nozzle(s) 10 just before the placing aresubjected to the correction when a higher-precision placing is desired.

[0168] Next, by the drive of the nozzle up-and-down device 26, the firstnozzle 10 alone is moved down from its move-enabled height position toits component-placing-enabled height position, by which the componentheld by the first nozzle 10 is placed onto the board 2 (step S11 in FIG.7). After that, by the drive of the nozzle up-and-down device 26, thefirst nozzle 10 alone is moved up from its component-placing-enabledheight position to its move-enabled height position. Then, by the driveof the θ-axis motor 25 m of the nozzle turning device 25, the firstnozzle 10 is turned about its axis to the turning-direction origin,position.

[0169] Subsequently, if component placing has not yet been completed forall the components 20 held by the mounting head 4 (step S12 in FIG. 7),the program goes to the next mounting operation.

[0170] In the next mounting operation, while the mounting head 4 ismoved to, for example, a component placing position for a component 20held by the second nozzle 10 by the drive of the X-Y robot 5 (step S9 inFIG. 7), the second nozzle 10 is turned concurrently about its axis fromthe placing posture angle to the correction position based on therecognition result by the drive of the nozzle turning device 25, bywhich the component 20 held by the second nozzle 10 is corrected inposture angle (step S10 in FIG. 7). Only the second nozzle 10 is moveddown from its move-enabled height position to itscomponent-placing-enabled height position by the drive of to the nozzleup-and-down device 26, by which the component 20 held by the secondnozzle 10 is placed onto the board 2 (step S11 in FIG. 7). Thereafter,by the drive of the nozzle up-and-down device 26, the second nozzle 10alone is moved up from its component-placing-enabled height position toits move-enabled height position. Then, by the drive of the nozzleturning device 25, the second nozzle 10 is turned about its axis to theturning-direction origin position.

[0171] From this on, similarly, the placing of the components 20 held bythe third to tenth nozzles 10 onto the board 2 is performed one afteranother (step S12 in FIG. 7), the mounting head 4 moves to above thespecified component feed positions of the ten component feed cassettes80 for the next component suction operation in the X-axis directionand/or Y-axis direction by the drive of the X-Y robot 5 (step S1 in FIG.7). From this on, the correction of component posture angle and thecomponent placing operation are iterated simultaneously with thecomponent suction, move to the recognition positions, componentrecognition, and move to the component placing positions of steps S2 toS12 of FIG. 7.

[0172] That is, by performing the placing-posture-angle correctionoperation simultaneously with the move operation to the componentplacing position, the time for performing the placing-posture-anglecorrection operation alone can be eliminated, so that the mounting timecan be reduced as a whole.

[0173] It is noted that also in the first embodiment, as in the priorart, each nozzle 10 once exerts a blow just after the placing of thecomponent 20 onto the board 2 so as to ensure that the component 20 goesaway from the nozzle 10.

[0174] It is also possible that after the components 20 are sucked andheld from the component feed device 8A or 8B and held by the nozzles 10of the plurality of component suction devices 15, respectively, andbefore the component recognition with the recognition camera 9 isstarted, the individual nozzles 10 are moved up and down by driving thenozzle up-and-down device 26 under the control of the main controller1000, a head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002 based oncomponent-height information which has been stored in the memory 910 andwhich concerns the components sucked and held by the individual nozzles10, so that the bottom faces of the components 20 are adjusted to aconstant height of Hi as shown in FIG. 10 or that the bottom faces ofthe components 20 are restricted so as to fall within a constant heightrange, i.e., the depth of field of the recognition camera 9. Morespecifically, as shown in FIG. 11A, data as to operations, a componentdatabase, component-feed-cassette arrangement data, or other informationare preliminarily stored in the memory 910. In the component database,as shown in FIG. 11B are stored sizes (width w, thickness t, depth D) ofthe individual components and information concerning electrodes of thecomponents (information as to the number of poles, electrode width andother sizes, positions, etc.). As shown in FIG. 11C, thecomponent-feed-cassette arrangement data include serialcomponent-feed-cassette numbers, link information with component typescorresponding to the cassette numbers, link information betweencomponent types and model numbers, etc. The terms, component type,herein refer to, for example, 1005R (i.e., a resistor having a componentsize of 1.0 mm×0.5 mm), 1608R (i.e., a resistor having a component sizeof 1.6 mm×0.8 mm), and the like. Therefore, for instance, as shown inFIG. 12, the main controller 1000 first acquires suction componentinformation for all the nozzles 10 from the memory 910 (step S61).

[0175] Next, the main controller 1000 determines a cassette numbers fromthe suction component information-by referring to the link informationof the memory 910 (step S62 in FIG. 7).

[0176] Next, the main controller 1000 determines a cassette coordinatepositions in the component mounting apparatus (equipment) from thecassette numbers by looking up to the link information of the memory 910(step S63).

[0177] Next, the mounting heads 4 is moved to the suction positions bydriving the X-Y robot 5 under the control of the main controller 1000,the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002, and suctionheights are calculated by the main controller 1000 based on theinformation stored in the memory 910 (e.g., information as to thethicknesses of the components to be sucked to the nozzle, information asto the component suction positions of the cassettes) (step S64).

[0178] Next, based on the calculated suction height, the nozzleup-and-down device 26 is driven under the control of the main controller1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002, by whicheach nozzle 10 is moved down to the calculated suction height (stepS65).

[0179] Next, the valves 90 are driven under the control of the maincontroller 1000, the head controller 1001 and the servo drivers 1002, bywhich the component suction operation is performed (step S66).

[0180] Next, sucked-component information for every nozzle is storedinto the memory 910 by the main controller 1000 (step S67).

[0181] Next, the nozzle up-and-down device 26 is driven under thecontrol of the main controller 1000, the head controller 1001, and theservo drivers 1002, by which each nozzle 10 is moved up to theheightwise origin position (step S68).

[0182] Next, the X-Y robot 5 is driven under the control of the maincontroller 1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002,by which the mounting head 4 is moved to the recognition position (stepS69).

[0183] Next, by the main controller 1000, the recognition height of eachnozzle 10 for adjusting the bottom faces of the individual components 20uniformly to the constant height Hi is calculated based on theinformation in the memory 910 (e.g., information as to the thicknessesof the components sucked by the nozzles) (step S70).

[0184] Next, based on the calculated recognition height of each nozzle10, the nozzle up-and-down device 26 is driven under the control of themain controller 1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers1002, by which each nozzle 10 is moved down from the heightwise originposition to the recognition height (step S71). In this operation, thebottom faces of the components 20 sucked and held by the individualnozzles 10 may be adjusted uniformly to the constant height H1 as shownin FIG. 10.

[0185] Next, the X-Y robot 5 is driven under the control of the maincontroller 1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002,by which the mounting head 4 is made to pass through above therecognition camera 9, allowing the recognition operation to be done(step S72).

[0186] Next, the nozzle up-and-down device 26 is driven under thecontrol of the main controller 1000, the head controller 1001, and theservo drivers 1002, by which each nozzle 10 is moved up to theheightwise origin position (step S73).

[0187] Next, the X-Y robot 5 is driven under the control of the maincontroller 1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002 soas to be moved to the mounting position (step S74).

[0188] Next, by the main controller 1000, a mounting down height iscalculated based on the information in the memory 910 (e.g., informationas to the thickness of the component to be sucked to the nozzle,information as to the board thickness, etc.) (step S75).

[0189] Next, based on the calculated mounting down height, the nozzleup-and-down device 26 is driven under the control of the main controller1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002, by whichnozzle to do mounting is moved down to the mounting down height (stepS76).

[0190] Next, the nozzle up-and-down device 26 is driven under thecontrol of the main controller 1000, the head controller 1001, and theservo drivers 1002, by which the nozzle 10 to do mounting is moved downto the mounting down height. This state is maintained for a moment, bywhich the component mounting operation onto the board 2 is accomplished(step S77).

[0191] Next, the nozzle up-and-down device 26 is driven under thecontrol of the main controller 1000, the head controller 1001, and theservo drivers 1002, by which the nozzle 10 that has done mountingoperation is moved up to the heightwise origin position (step S78).

[0192] Next, it is checked by the head controller 1001 and the servodrivers 1002 whether or not the component mounting operation has beendone for all the nozzles 10 of the mounting head 4. In order thatnozzles 10 that have not yet done, if any, are put into the operation,the program returns to step S74 (step S79). If the component mountingoperation has been completed for all the nozzles 10, the program returnsto step S61.

[0193] With this method as described above, since recognition surfaces,e.g., bottom surfaces of all the components can be set to within thedepth of field of the recognition camera 9 at the process ofrecognition, even those components which thicknesses largely differ fromone another can be treated collectively for recognition operation. As aresult, such disadvantages as incapability of recognition due to therecognition surfaces not falling within the depth of field can beeliminated without fail.

[0194] Now, communications between the main controller 1000 of thecomponent-mounting-apparatus main body and each mounting head 4, andcontrol operations between the main controller 1000 and each servodriver 1002 for controlling the head controller 1001, the θ-axis motor25 m, and the up-and-down linear motor 32 in each mounting head 4, aswell as the constitution therefor, are described below.

[0195] In this first embodiment, with a view to reducing any increase incable connections between the component-mounting-apparatus main body andthe mounting heads 4 due to any increase of the number of actuators, aswell as to implementing the modularization of the mounting heads 4, thisapparatus adopts a method in which the drive control section forcontrolling up-and-down and turning operations of the individual nozzlesof the mounting head, which have been conventionally controlled by an NCboard 901 mounted on a control unit of the component-mounting-apparatusmain body, is implemented by the head controller 1001 and the servodrivers 1002, which are integrated into one unit and mounted on themounting head 4 side, where communications between the head controller1001 and the main controller 1000 are done in a serial manner. In orderto implement such a system, there is a need for reducing the amount ofcommunications between the main controller 1000 and the head controller1001 and, therefore, a command system by asynchronous communications isadopted. Also, communications between the head controller 1001 and eachservo driver 1002 are done by transmission in synchronouscommunications, while one-to-multi broadcasting is enabled from the headcontroller 1001 to the individual servo drivers 1002. Further,communications from the individual servo drivers 1002 to the headcontroller 1001 are done in a one-to-one system in which thecommunication path is switched in time division with interruptnotifications given. By implementing communications in such a fullduplex communication system, issues with an increase in communicationtraffic due to an increase in the number of actuators, i.e., amultiplication of axes can be solved.

[0196] The above-described system is explained below in detail on a caseof controlling the θ-axis motor 25 m, which is a servomotor for thenozzle turning device 25 of the component suction device 15, and theup-and-down linear motor 32 for the nozzle up-and-down device 26 in thecomponent mounting apparatus.

[0197] As shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 16, the main controller 1000, i.e.controller for controlling the machine (MMC), is mounted on thecomponent-mounting-apparatus main body, while the head controller 1001and the servo drivers 1002, as well as the members or devices to bedriven and controlled such as the θ-axis motor 25 m or the up-and-downlinear motor 32 are mounted on the mounting heads 4.

[0198] The main controller 1000 has a function of setting operatingcharacteristics, for example, it sets travel distance, acceleration,maximum speed, and speed command waveform pattern of the members ordevices to be driven and controlled.

[0199] The main controller 1000 and the head controller 1001 areconnected to each other in such a serial connection as to be bothswitchable between transmission side and reception side, as required,where one-to-one communications are performed asynchronously.

[0200] In order to reduce the communication traffic in this case, first,it is arranged that not only communications by specifying the axes ofthe nozzles 10 individually but also broadcasting for all the axes tothe nozzles 10 are possible. Also, in order that the values of operatingspeed and acceleration for each nozzle 10 can be selected from, forexample, eight kinds of specified values, respectively, it is designedthat, for example, eight kinds of specified values of speed andacceleration for the individual nozzles 10 are preliminarily transmittedto the head controller 1001 so as to be stored as a table in a memory1005 connected to the head controller 1001. As a result of this, onlytransmitting, for example, one specified value selected out of the eightkinds, allows the each nozzle 10 to operate at a desired speed oracceleration. It is further arranged that with provisions of commandsfor instructing suction operation by the nozzles 10 as well as commandsfor instructing placing operation by the nozzles 10, a sequence ofsuction and placing operation can be performed only by transmittingtravel amount and bottom dead-point time for each operation. Morespecifically, for example, with information as to suction operation bythe nozzles 10 and placing operation by the nozzles 10 preliminarilystored in the memory 1005 connected to the head controller 1001, when asuction-operation instruction command or a placing-operation instructioncommand is transmitted from the main controller 1000 to the headcontroller 1001, information as to a relevant operation is read from thememory 1005, and based on the information as to travel amount anddead-point time, the servo driver 1002 is made to perform the relevantoperation. Therefore, in the case where component suction is performedby, for example, ten nozzles 10, it is only required to transmit acommand for instructing the suction operation by the nozzles 10 to allthe ten nozzles 10, as well as a signal containing a down amount and adead-point time for the suction by each nozzle 10, and specified valuesof operating speed and acceleration for up-and-down move of each nozzle10, from the main controller 1000 to the head controller 1001. Also, inthe case where component placing is performed by, for example, the firstnozzle 10-1 out of the ten nozzles 10, it is only required to transmit acommand for instructing the placing operation by the first suctionnozzle 10-1 to the first suction nozzle 10-1, as well as a signalcontaining a down amount and a dead-point time for the placing by thefirst suction nozzle 10-1, and specified values of operating speed andacceleration for up-and-down move of the first suction nozzle 10-1, fromthe main controller 1000 to the head controller 1001.

[0201] The head controller 1001 has a function of conversion intoinstructions in unit time, where, for example, a travel amount for theunit time of synchronous communications is calculated based on setvalues from the upper-order main controller 1000, and then transmittedto the servo drivers 1002.

[0202] The head controller 1001 and the servo drivers 1002 are connectedto each other in serial connection, so that one-to-multi communicationsare performed in synchronous communications.

[0203] With the full duplex communication system used for improvement incommunication responsivity of communications in this case, it is enabledto simultaneously perform communication from the head controller 1001 toeach servo driver 1002 and communication from each servo driver 1002 tothe head controller 1001. Further, the communication from the headcontroller 1001 to each servo driver 1002 is a one-to-multicommunication in which communications from the head controller 1001 aresimultaneously transmitted to all the servo drivers 1002. That is, thesame data, commands, or the like are transmitted to all the servodrivers 1002. Therefore, all the servo drivers 1002 have addressesdifferent from one another, and only those correspondent in theaddresses and an order of the sent data, commands, or the like are takeninto the individual servo drivers 1002. This allows the communicationtime to remain almost unchanged even if the number of the servo drivers1002 is increased. In contrast to this, in the prior art, since data orinstruction information is transmitted to the servo drivers 1002 in timedivision, there has been an issue that increases in the number of servodrivers 1002 would cause the communication time to be prolongedproportionally. Such an issue is solved by the concurrent broadcastingof information and the check and selection according to addresses.Further, for communications from the servo drivers 1002 to the headcontroller 1001, the synchronization cycle is equally divided into five,and data or the like is transmitted at the individual divided cyclessequentially from address 1.

[0204] Since the communication responsivity can be improved with theabove-described constitution, the communication time remains almostunchanged even if the number of the servo drivers 1002 is increased. Incontrast to this, in the prior art, since data or instructioninformation is transmitted to the individual servo drivers 1002 in timedivision, there has been an issue that increases in the number of servodrivers 1002 would cause the communication time to be prolongedproportionally. Such an issue is solved by the concurrent broadcastingof information and the check and selection according to addresses.

[0205] Each of the servo drivers 1002 has a function of controlling theposition of a corresponding servomotor (θ-axis motor 25 m) or theup-and-down linear motor 32. For example, the servo driver 1002calculates a difference between a given command and a feedback amountderived from an encoder of the servomotor or an up-and-down amountdetection sensor of the up-and-down linear motor 32, and controls thetorque of the servomotor or the up-and-down amount of the up-and-downlinear motor 32 to obtain coincidence with a targeted position.

[0206] The servo drivers 1002 and the members or devices to be drivenand controlled such as the θ-axis motor 25 m or the up-and-down linearmotor 32 are connected to each other with various types of electricalwires.

[0207] As shown above, in the first embodiment, the main controller 1000is mounted on the component-mounting-apparatus main body, while the headcontroller 1001, the servo drivers 1002, and the members or devices tobe driven and controlled such as the θ-axis motor 25 m or theup-and-down linear motor 32 are mounted on the mounting head 4.

[0208] In contrast to this, in the prior art, as shown in FIG. 15, amain controller 900, an NC board 901, and servo drivers 902 forindividual servomotors 903 are mounted on the control unit of thecomponent-mounting-apparatus main body, while the servomotors 903 onlyare mounted on the mounting head 307 of FIG. 22. The main controller 900has a function of setting operating characteristics, and, for example,sets travel distance, acceleration, maximum speed, and speed commandwaveform pattern of the members or devices to be driven and controlled.The main controller 900 and the NC board 901 are connected to each otherin a bus connection, where one-to-one communications are performedasynchronously. The NC board 901 has a function of conversion intoinstructions in unit time, where, for example, a travel amount for theunit time of synchronous communications is calculated based on setvalues from the upper-order main controller 900, and then transmitted tothe servo drivers 902. The NC board 901 and the servo drivers 902 areconnected to each other in serial connection, so that one-to-multicommunications are performed in synchronous communications. Each of theservo drivers 902 has a function of controlling the position of acorresponding servomotor 903 (turn-actuating motor 311 or up-and-downmotor 312 in FIG. 22). For example, the servo driver 902 calculates adifference between a given command and a feedback amount derived from anencoder of the servomotor 903, and controls the torque of the servomotor903 to obtain coincidence with a targeted position. With such aprior-art constitution, implementing up-and-down operations andturn-correcting operations of the individual nozzles 10 independently ofone another as in the first embodiment would involve mounting a nozzleturning device 25 and a nozzle up-and-down device 26 on each nozzle 10.This would result in an increase in the number of actuators, forexample, compared with the constitution of the prior-art mounting head307 of FIG. 22, which in turn would result in an increase in the numberof servo drivers 902 that control the actuators. In the prior art, theservo drivers 902 would be mounted on the fixed side, i.e., on thecomponent-mounting-apparatus main body, while the actuators (servomotors903) only would be mounted on the mounting head 307. With a similarconstitution, in the prior art, the wiring lines for connecting theservo drivers 902 and the actuators, for ten nozzles as an example,would result in a total of two wiring lines in conjunction with theservo drivers 902 since two actuators consisting of one up-and-downmotor 312 and one turn-actuating motor 311 are involved, or in a totalof three wiring lines in conjunction with the servo drivers 902 sincethree actuators consisting of one up-and-down motor 312 and twoturn-actuating motors (a turn-actuating motor for odd-numbered nozzlesand a turn-actuating motor for even-numbered nozzles) are involved. Incontrast to this, since a total of twenty actuators consisting of tenturn-actuating motors and ten up-and-down motors for ten nozzles areinvolved, a total of twenty wiring lines in conjunction with the servodrivers 902 result. These are seven to ten times as large as the numberof wiring lines of the prior art, making it impractical to do wiring.Also, the servo drivers would increase in number seven to ten timeslarger, causing their installation area to increase, making it difficultto accommodate those servo drivers into the component mountingapparatus. To solve these and other issues, the first embodiment is soarranged that the servo drivers 1002 are downsized, reduced in weight,and mounted on the mounting head 4.

[0209] More specifically, first, two actuators are controlled by oneservo driver 1002. In more detail, in order to control the two motors ofthe θ-axis motor 25 m and the up-and-down linear motor 32 with one servodriver 1002, a high-speed CPU 1002 a is mounted as a controllerdedicated to the servo driver 1002 so that servo operations for thetwo-axis actuators can be performed with the one CPU 1002 a, and thatthe mounting area of the controller board for providing the servo driver1002 can be reduced to enable the downsizing of the servo driver 1002.Further, on the head controller 1001 side, a head controller 1001specialized in the function of head control is mounted on the mountinghead 4 in order to implement one-to-one communications between the maincontroller 1000 and the head controller 1001 in this first embodiment,other than one-to-multi communications between the NC board 901 and theservo drivers 902 in the prior art. Further, the main controller 1000and the head controller 1001 are connected in serial communication,allowing power supply cable and communication cable to be each one innumber. In addition, it is devised to implement multi-axis control inserial communication by establishing a communication protocol, i.e., byimplementing a protocol for reducing the communication traffic.

[0210] Now, as an example of the signal to be transmitted from the maincontroller 1000 to the head controller 1001, here is discussed a casewhere the mounting head 4 moves up and down only selected nozzles 10 outof the ten nozzles 10 in the component feed position(s) to perform thecomponent suction. While the mounting head 4 is moving toward thecomponent feed position(s), signal(s) containing drive-amountinformation for servo driver(s) 1002 to be selected out of the servodrivers 1002 that control the θ-axis motors 25 m of ten nozzle turningdevices 25 and the up-and-down linear motors 32 of ten nozzleup-and-down devices 26 for the ten nozzles 10 are transmitted from themain controller 1000 to the head controller 1001.

[0211] The drive-amount information, as an example, contains addressinformation on the selected servo driver(s) 1002 that should receivedrive-amount information, travel or up-and-down distance designinformation corresponding to down amount(s) predetermined at the designstage of the nozzle(s) driven by servo driver(s) 1002 at theaddress(es), travel or up-and-down distance correction information whichis correction information for determining the actual preferable downamount(s) for the nozzle(s) 10 from the travel or up-and-down distancedesign information, and check information for checking that the signalof drive-amount information has been correctly received. Therefore, thehead controller 1001, which has received the drive-amount informationsignal from the main controller 1000, first checks that the drive-amountinformation signal has been correctly received, and then transmits acheck result, as a check result signal, to the main controller 1000. Ifthe signal containing drive-amount information has not been receivedcorrectly by the head controller 1001, the main controller 1000transmits the signal containing drive-amount information once again tothe head controller 1001, waiting for a check result signal from thehead controller 1001. If the signal containing drive-amount informationhas been received correctly by the head controller 1001, the headcontroller 1001 calculates actual travel or up-and-down distanceinformation from the travel or up-and-down distance design informationand the travel or up-and-down distance correction information, andmaking the information temporarily stored in the memory 1005 asrequired.

[0212] On the other hand, after the main controller 1000 has received anarrival signal indicating that the mounting head 4 has arrived at thecomponent feed position, a signal containing an operation start signalis transmitted from the main controller 1000 to the head controller1001. The operation start information, as an example, contains addressinformation on the servo driver(s) 1002 to be started operating, anddown-move start signal(s) of the nozzle(s) to be driven by the servodriver(s) 1002 at the address(es).

[0213] Once the signal containing an operation start signal has beenreceived by the head controller 1001 as shown above, the head controller1001 simultaneously transmit to all the servo drivers 1002 themotor-dedicated drive-amount signal containing actual travel orup-and-down distance information calculated for all the servo drivers1002 and address information on the servo driver(s) 1002 that shouldreceive drive-amount information. By transmission from the headcontroller 1001, only the servo driver(s) 1002 having the address(es)that should receive the drive-amount information receive the actualtravel or up-and-down distance information, and immediately drives andcontrols the up-and-down linear motor(s) 32 based on this actual travelor up-and-down distance information to lower the nozzle(s) 10 to makethe nozzle(s) 10 carry out the component suction-and-holding operation.

[0214] In addition, in the case where the ten nozzles 10 are lowered ata time to perform suction operation, respective pieces of thedrive-amount information and the simultaneous operation start signal foreach of all the servo drivers 1002 are transmitted from the maincontroller 1000 to the head controller 1001, and the signals containingactual travel or up-and-down distance information for each of the servodrivers 1002 are transmitted simultaneously from the head controller1001 to all the servo drivers 1002 by which the servo drivers 1002 areindividually controlled so that the nozzles 10 are simultaneouslylowered.

[0215] In operations (e.g., recognition operation, placing operation orthe like) other than the above-described suction operation, similarly,before the members or devices which are to operate in the operationscome to their operating positions, drive-amount information as to theservo drivers 1002 that should drive and control the members or devicesto operate is transmitted from the main controller 1000 to the headcontroller 1001, and the head controller 1001 calculates actual travelor up-and-down distance information, where an -operation start signal iswaited. When the members or devices to operate are located at theiroperating positions or have approached to those operating positions, theoperation start signal is transmitted from the main controller 1000 tothe head controller 1001, and the head controller 1001 transmits theaddress(es) of the servo driver(s) 1002 to be driven and controlled aswell as the actual travel or up-and-down distance information to all theservo drivers 1002, by which the servo driver(s) 1002 that should do thedrive control are put into operation.

[0216] Thus, by dividing the signal for communications into a signalcontaining drive-amount information and a signal containing operationstart information and by transmitting or receiving the signals at propertimings, respectively, the amount of signal transmission can be reducedto approximately one third, compared with cases in which the two signalsare simultaneously transmitted.

[0217] Meanwhile, information to be transmitted in communications fromthe head controller 1001 to the main controller 1000 includes addressinformation on the individual servo drivers 1002, current-positioninformation as to current positions of the members or devices driven andcontrolled by the servo drivers 1002, and state information on themembers or devices (e.g., valve on/off information, error information asto halts due to overloads or the like, electric current information,etc.), in addition to the above-described check result signal.

[0218] In addition, referring to FIG. 16, reference numeral 1002 adenotes a CPU 1002 a dedicated for servo drivers, 90 denotes a valvethat turns on/off the suction or discharge (blow) operation of thenozzle 10 which are driven and controlled by the servo-driver dedicatedCPU 1002 a, 91 denotes an interface of signals which derive from theposition detector of the up-and-down linear motor 32 and which areinputted to the servo-driver dedicated CPU 1002 a, and 92 denotes aninterface of signals which derive from the encoder of the θ-axis motor25 m and which are inputted to the servo-driver dedicated CPU 1002 a.Numeral 93 denotes an amplifier for amplifying a drive-control currentfrom the servo-driver dedicated CPU 1002 a to the up-and-down linearmotor 32, 94 denotes an amplifier for amplifying a drive-control currentfrom the servo-driver dedicated CPU 1002 a to the θ-axis motor 25 m, 95denotes a serial interface, 96 denotes an interrupt interface, 97denotes a CPU of the head controller 1001, 97 denotes a CPU of the headcontroller 1001, 97 denotes a power supply section, and 98 denotes aDCDC converter of the power supply section 97.

[0219] According to the first embodiment, the nozzle 10 that has suckedup the component 20 can be turned to a desired angle at any arbitrarytiming by the nozzle turning device 25, and moreover the nozzle 10 canbe moved up and down to a desired height at any arbitrary timing by thenozzle up-and-down device 26. Therefore, in the mounting head 4 equippedwith a plurality of component suction devices 15, all the nozzles 10 canbe turned to their respective desired angles at the same timing bydriving and controlling all the nozzle turning devices 25 at the sametiming. Accordingly, after the component suction and before itsrecognition, the components 20 can be turned in their respective nozzles10 to their placing posture angles by the drive of the individual nozzleturning devices 25, especially even during the move from the componentsuction position to the recognition position. As a result of this, theneed for largely turning the nozzles to their placing posture anglesjust before placing is eliminated, so that the turning operation timecan be reduced, and that the mounting cycle time as a whole can bereduced.

[0220] Also, before placing, the nozzles 10 can be turned to theirrespective correction angles at a time by the drive of the individualnozzle turning devices 25, so that the need for turning the nozzlesindividual to their correction angles just before placing is eliminated,and that the mounting cycle time can be reduced.

[0221] Also, since the nozzle turning devices 25 and the nozzleup-and-down devices 26 can be driven and controlled individually andindependently, it is possible that during the component suctionoperation or component placing operation performed by one nozzle 10 thathas, for example, moved down, the other nozzles 10 perform the turningoperation of the sucked and held components. It is therefore possible toconcurrently perform different operations by a plurality of nozzles 10,so that the mounting cycle time can be shortened.

[0222] With the nozzle up-and-down device 26 arranged below the nozzleturning device 25, turning drive of the nozzle turning device 25 wouldcause the nozzle up-and-down device 26 to turn along with the nozzle 10,in which case the wiring lines for the nozzle up-and-down device 26 andthe like would be complicated in structure. However, in the firstembodiment, since the nozzle up-and-down device 26 is located above thenozzle turning device 25, turning drive of the nozzle turning device 25does not cause the nozzle up-and-down device 26 to turn along with thenozzle 10, in which case such a disadvantage as described above does notoccur.

[0223] In more detail, superior working effects as shown below can beproduced, in comparison with the issues of the prior art.

[0224] First, the mounting head 307 as shown in FIG. 22 has had thefollowing issues so far.

[0225] {circle over (1)} Load factor for the motor 312 or 311 is high;because a plurality of nozzles 304 are operated by one motor 312 or 311,operation frequency of the motor 312 or 311 is high and a high-powermotor is necessitated.

[0226] {circle over (2)} Improvement in throughput is difficult;improving the operating speed and acceleration of the nozzles 304 tothereby improve the mounting cycle time (throughput) in view of theissue of {circle over (1)} would involve increase in motor size(increase in power), which in turn would cause the mounting head 307 toincrease in dimensions and mass, with the results of increased loads onother driver devices such as the X-Y robot that operates the mountinghead 307, as well as an impossibility of providing a multi-headstructure.

[0227] {circle over (3)} Placing precision is poor; that is, theprecision becomes poor when large correction angle operations arerequired depending on the orientation of components (e.g., when theplacing posture angle is rotated, for example, 90° or 180° with respectto the posture of components at the component feed position). Forexample, the placing operation of the prior art includes firstly doingcomponent suction, then moving to the recognition position, wherecomponent recognition is done, then moving to the placing position,where turning operation to the placing posture angle and turn correctionoperation based on a recognition result are done, and finally doing theplacing operation. In such operation, the turning operation to theplacing posture angle (e.g., 90° or 180°) can be done only after therecognition. The reason of this is that because multiple nozzles 304 areoperated with one turn-actuating motor 311, adding the turning operationof 180°, 0°, 90° or the like before recognition would cause thethroughput to decrease. In addition, when effects of eccentricity,distortion (see FIG. 17B), thermal deformation, and the like of thenozzles 304 are involved, there is another issue that large turningangle of the nozzles 304 would result in proportionally large errors.

[0228] {circle over (4)} Batch suction of components different incomponent thickness is difficult to do; that is, because multiplenozzles 304 are moved up and down with the same up-and-down motor 312,it is impossible to adjust the suction height for individual nozzles 304as shown in FIG. 17A. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 22 and 18, thenozzles 304 are adjusted in position by contracting springs 360, whichare provided for the individual nozzles 304, to an extent correspondingto the thickness differences of the components 320 to thereby absorb thethickness differences of components 320. However, the force exerted ontothe components 320 with the springs 360 has limitations so as not tomeet large differences in component thickness. Further, controlresponsive to component thicknesses (load control) is impossible, andadjustment to a recognition height H01 is unachievable in the componentrecognition as shown in FIG. 17A.

[0229] {circle over (5)} For example, with a large turning angle such as90° and 180°, when turning operation is done after recognition, thethroughput would decrease as a whole of mounting operation.

[0230] Such various issues of the prior art as described above can allbe solved by the first embodiment as follows.

[0231] That is, since each suction nozzle 10 is equipped with actuatorscapable of performing up-and-down operation and turning operation, i.e.,a nozzle up-and-down device 26 and a nozzle turning device 25,respectively, the load on one actuator can be reduced, so that themounting head 4 having such actuators mounted thereon can improvementthe operating acceleration without increasing the size of the motor. Asa result of this, improvement in the throughput can be accomplished sothat the prior-art issues of {circle over (1)} and {circle over (2)} canbe solved.

[0232] Also, since the nozzles 10 can be subjected to turning operationsabout the θ-axes at any arbitrary timings, independently of one another,by their respective nozzle turning devices 25, it is possible that withplacing posture angles of components being largely different from thecomponent posture angle at the component feed position by 90°, 180° orthe like, components can preliminarily be turned to their placingposture angles by driving the nozzle turning devices 25 after componentsucking and holding is performed by the nozzles 10 and before componentrecognition is performed. As a result of this, all the components arelocated at their placing posture angles before the componentrecognition, thus reducing the turning amount for correction subsequentto the recognition so that adjustment to the placing posture angles canbe accomplished with proportionally higher precision.

[0233] Also, effects of distortions due to thermal changes of thenozzles 10 or the like (see differences between solid-line nozzle 304and broken-line nozzle 304 in FIG. 17B) can be minimized, so that theplacing precision can be improved. More specifically, assume that withthe nozzle 10 under no effects of heat or the like, as shown in FIG.23A, a center 9 p of a quadrilateral image 9 i of the recognition camera9 and a center 10 p of the nozzle 10 are coincidently located at aposition [Xn, Yn] in X-Y coordinates, and that a center 20 c of arectangular-parallelopiped component 20 sucked by the nozzle 10 islocated at a position [Xp, Yp] in the X-Y coordinates with a shift fromthe center 10 p of the nozzle 10. Further assume that when the nozzle 10is turned by η=45 degrees about the nozzle axis in this state, thecenter 20 c of the component 20 sucked by the nozzle 10 is located at aposition [Xp′, Yp′] in the X-Y coordinates. Then, the X-Y coordinates[Xp′, Yp′] of the center 20 c of the component 20 resulting after the 45degree turn can be determined by the following equation (Eq. 1):

[0234] Eq. 1: ${{{Eq}.\quad 1}{\text{:}\quad \begin{bmatrix}{Xp}^{\prime} \\{Yp}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}}} = {{\begin{bmatrix}{\cos \quad \theta} & {\sin \quad \theta} \\{{- \sin}\quad \theta} & {\cos \quad \theta}\end{bmatrix}\left\lbrack {\begin{bmatrix}{Xp} \\{Yp}\end{bmatrix} - \begin{bmatrix}{Xn} \\{Yn}\end{bmatrix}} \right\rbrack} + \begin{bmatrix}{Xn} \\{Yn}\end{bmatrix}}$

[0235] Next, in the case where the nozzle 10 is under effects of heat orthe like, assume that the center 9 p of the quadrilateral image 9 i ofthe recognition camera 9 and the center 10 p of the nozzle 10 are notcoincident with each other as shown in FIG. 23B, where the nozzle 10 isdistorted due to the effects of heat or the like so as to be shiftedwith respect to the position [Xn, Yn] in the X-Y coordinates of thecenter 9 p of the image 9 i so as to be located at a position [Xn′, Yn′]in the X-Y coordinates. Further assume that the center 20 c of therectangular-parallelopiped component 20 sucked by the nozzle 10 islocated at the position [Xp, Yp] in the X-Y coordinates with respect tothe center 10 p of the nozzle 10. When the nozzle 10 is turned by θ=45degrees about the nozzle axis in this state, it would be expected thatwithout any effects of heat, the center 20 c of the component 20 suckedby the nozzle 10 is located at the position [Xp′, Yp′] in the X-Ycoordinates as in the case of FIG. 23A. However, actually, since theactual X-Y coordinates of the turning center 10 p of the nozzle 10 havebeen shifted from [Xn, Yn] to [Xn′, Yn′] because of the effects of heaton the nozzle 10, the calculative X-Y coordinates [Xp′, Yp′] of theposition of the center 20 c of the component 20 with respect to theactual X-Y coordinates [Xn′, Yn′] of the turning center 10 p of thenozzle 10 can be determined by the following equation (Eq. 2):

[0236] Eq. 2: ${{{Eq}.\quad 2}{\text{:}\quad \begin{bmatrix}{Xp}^{\prime} \\{Yp}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}}} = {{\begin{bmatrix}{\cos \quad \theta} & {\sin \quad \theta} \\{{- \sin}\quad \theta} & {\cos \quad \theta}\end{bmatrix}\left\lbrack {\begin{bmatrix}{Xp} \\{Yp}\end{bmatrix} - \begin{bmatrix}{Xn} \\{Yn}\end{bmatrix}} \right\rbrack} + \begin{bmatrix}{Xn} \\{Yn}\end{bmatrix}}$

[0237] Also, assuming that the calculative turning-center position,i.e., the center 9 p of the image 9 i is [Xn, Yn] in the X-Ycoordinates, the actual X-Y coordinates [Xp_r′, Yp_r′] of the positionof the component center 20 c can be determined by the following equation(Eq. 3):

[0238] Eq. 3: ${{{Eq}.\quad 3}{\text{:}\quad \begin{bmatrix}{Xp\_ r}^{\prime} \\{Yp\_ r}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}}} = {{\begin{bmatrix}{\cos \quad \theta} & {\sin \quad \theta} \\{{- \sin}\quad \theta} & {\cos \quad \theta}\end{bmatrix}\left\lbrack {\begin{bmatrix}{Xp} \\{Yp}\end{bmatrix} - \begin{bmatrix}{Xn}^{\prime} \\{Yn}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}} \right\rbrack} + \begin{bmatrix}{Xn}^{\prime} \\{Yn}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}}$

[0239] Therefore, a shift between the calculative X-Y coordinates of theposition of the center 20 c of the component 20 and the actual X-Ycoordinates of the position of the component center 20 c results in aplacing position shift, where this placing position shift can bedetermined by the equation (Eq. 4) from the equations (Eq. 2) and (Eq.3):

[0240] Eq. 4: ${{{{Eq}.\quad 4}{\text{:}\quad \begin{bmatrix}{Xp}^{\prime} \\{Yp}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}}} - \begin{bmatrix}{Xp\_ r}^{\prime} \\{Yp\_ r}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}} = {\underset{\underset{{\theta - {dependent}}\text{}{components}}{}}{\begin{bmatrix}{\cos \quad \theta} & {\sin \quad \theta} \\{{- \sin}\quad \theta} & {\cos \quad \theta}\end{bmatrix}\left\lbrack {{- \begin{bmatrix}{Xn} \\{Yn}\end{bmatrix}} + \begin{bmatrix}{Xn}^{\prime} \\{Yn}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}} \right\rbrack} + \underset{\underset{{Translational}{components}}{}}{\left\lbrack {\begin{bmatrix}{Xn} \\{Yn}\end{bmatrix} - \begin{bmatrix}{Xn}^{\prime} \\{Yn}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}} \right\rbrack}}$

[0241] In this equation (Eq. 4), without any turn of the nozzle 10,i.e., with the turning angle θ=0, there results zero error, eliminatingthe placing position shift. In contrast to this, with the nozzle 10turned, i.e., with the turning angle θ≠0, there occurs an error, wherethe smaller the turning angle θ, the smaller the error. Accordingly, byturning the nozzle 10 before recognition to thereby turn the component20 to the placing posture angle, allowing the component to berecognized, and then by turning the component to an extent correspondingto the correction after the recognition, the resulting turning angle canbe reduced so that errors due to effects of heat or the like can bereduced.

[0242] Thus, the prior-art issue of {circle over (3)} can be solved.

[0243] Also, based on information as to the nozzles 10 and thethicknesses of components to be sucked by the nozzles 10 stored in thememory 910, up-and-down amounts for the individual nozzles 10 by thenozzle up-and-down devices 26 are adjusted under the control of the maincontroller 1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002,by taking into consideration the thicknesses of the components to besucked. Thus, even with largely different thicknesses of components,performing the batch suction of a plurality of components 20 by aplurality of nozzles 10 never causes damage to the components 20. Also,10 based on the information as to the nozzles 10 and the thicknesses ofcomponents to be sucked by the nozzles 10 stored in the memory 910, andunder the control of the main controller 1000, the head controller 1001,and the servo drivers 1002, up-and-down amounts for the individualnozzles 10 are adjusted by the nozzle up-and-down devices 26 so that thebottom faces of the components sucked by the individual nozzles 10 areadjusted to a uniform height or to within a certain range. Thus, batchrecognition of components that are largely different in height from oneanother is enabled. Therefore, the prior-art issue of {circle over (4)}can be solved.

[0244] Further, as a result of driving the θ-axis motor 25 m under thecontrol of the main controller 1000, the head controller 1001, and theservo drivers 1002, the individual nozzles 10 are allowed to performturning operations about the θ-axes at any arbitrary timingindependently of one another. Therefore, even when the placing postureangle of a component 20 is largely different from its placing angle atthe component feed position by, for example, 90° or 180°, any decreasein mounting cycle time can be prevented by, after the sucking andholding of the component 20 with the nozzle 10 and before therecognition of the component 20, driving the nozzle turning device 25 topreliminarily turn the component 20 to its placing posture angle, ascompared with the case where the turning operation is performed afterthe recognition and before the placing. Therefore, the prior-art issueof {circle over (5)} can be solved.

[0245] Also, in each component suction device 15, the nozzle turningdevice 25 and the nozzle up-and-down device 26 for the suction nozzle 10are provided by the same unit in an arrangement that the θ-axis motor 25m for the nozzle turning device 25 is located below the linear motor 32,which is an up-and-down motor for the nozzle up-and-down device 26, andthat the center line of the θ-axis motor 25 m is located at the centerof thrust occurring to the linear motor 32. Thus, occurrence ofunnecessary moment is prevented during up-and-down operations, by whichswings due to the up-and-down operations can be prevented.

[0246] Also, the nozzle up-and-down device 26 is so structured that themagnetic-circuit forming member 26 a and the mechanism forming member 26b are dividedly provided, where those members can be made of differentmaterials and combined together so that the magnetic-circuit formingmember 26 a alone is made of steel material and the mechanism formingmember 26 b is made of aluminum alloy or the like, thus making itpossible to reduce the weight and thickness of the device.

[0247] Also, the main controller 1000 is provided on thecomponent-mounting-apparatus main body, while the head controller 1001and the servo drivers 1002 are mounted on the mounting head 4 side. Incommunications from the main controller 1000 through the head controller1001 to the servo drivers 1002, the same broadcast communications can beperformed to the servo drivers 1002 for all the nozzles 10 bytransmitting addresses and drive amounts of the servo drivers 1002. Eachof the servo drivers 1002 is enabled to fetch only informationcoincident with its own address and neglect the other information, thuscapable of driving and controlling their respective motors 32, 25 mwithout any malfunction. Thus, communication traffic and communicationtime can be reduced as compared with the case where communications areperformed for each of the servo drivers 902.

[0248] Also, values of speed and acceleration for the individual nozzles10, for example, eight kinds of specified values are preliminarilytransmitted from the main controller 1000 to the head controller 1001 soas to be stored as a table in the memory 1005 connected to the headcontroller 1001. As a result of this, only transmitting, for example,one specified value selected out of the eight kinds, allows theindividual nozzles 10 to operate at a desired speed or acceleration.Thus, communication traffic and communication time can be reduced ascompared with the case where concrete information as to speed andacceleration is transmitted.

[0249] Further, only by transmitting a command for instructing suctionoperation by the nozzles 10 or a command for instructing placingoperation by the nozzles 10 and travel amount as well as dead-point timefor each operation from the main controller 1000 to the head controller1001, relevant motors 32 or 25 m can be driven and controlled via thehead controller 1001 by the servo drivers 1002 to perform the suctionoperation or placing operation. Thus, communication traffic andcommunication time can be reduced as compared with the case whereinformation as to suction or placing operation is transmitted.

[0250] It is noted here that the present invention is not limited to theabove embodiment, and may be embodied in other various ways.

[0251] For example, the above embodiment has been described on a casewhere simultaneous suction, simultaneous recognition and the like aredone at a time by ten nozzles 10. However, in the case where only fivenozzles 10 are used for mounting operation even with ten nozzles 10mounted on the mounting head 4, it is possible to read the abovedescription by replacing the ten nozzles 10 with five nozzles 10. Thatis, a plurality of nozzles 10 which should perform mounting operationcan be made to simultaneously perform the suction, turning, recognition,or other operations.

[0252] The component mounting apparatus equipped with theabove-described component suction device is not limited to the abovefirst embodiment, and may be applied to other component mountingapparatuses.

[0253] For example, as a component mounting apparatus according to asecond embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 19, 20,and 21, the component mounting apparatus may be one in which mountingheads 4A move only in the X-direction, while a board holding device 3Athat holds the board 2 moves only in the Y-direction, without beinglimiting to those in which the mounting head 4 moves in the X- andY-directions. More specifically, the board holding device 3A isimplemented by a Y-table that advances and retreats only in the Y-axisdirection, while an X-axis driver device 5A extending in the X-axisdirection perpendicular to the Y-axis direction is provided. In theX-axis driver device 5A, the mounting heads 4A are driven only in theX-axis direction independently of one another. Also in such a componentmounting apparatus, as in the component mounting apparatus of the firstembodiment, the nozzles 10 that have sucked the components 20 can beturned at any arbitrary timings to desired angles by the nozzle turningdevices 25, and besides the nozzles 10 can be moved up and down at anyarbitrary timings to desired heights by the nozzle up-and-down devices26. Therefore, for example, after the component suction operation at acomponent feed cassette 8D, the nozzles 10 can be turned to theirrespective placing posture angles at a time by the drive of the nozzleturning devices 25. Also, before placing, the nozzles 10 can be turnedto the their respective correction angles at a time by the drive of thenozzle turning devices 25. In addition, in FIG. 20, reference numeral 1Adenotes an unloader, and 11A denotes an unloader.

[0254] A component suction device according to a third embodiment of thepresent invention, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, includes: a drive shaft500 which is movable up and down and turnable about its axis; a suctionnozzle 10A which is fitted at a lower end of the drive shaft 500 so asto be relatively unturnable and up-and-down relatively immovable, andwhich can suck and hold the component 20; a θ-turn driving motor 25Awhich is connected to an upper portion of the drive shaft 500 so as tobe up-and-down relatively movable and relatively unturnable, and whichturns the drive shaft 500 about its axis; an up-and-down driver device26A which has a cylindrical first coupling section 501 connected to thedrive shaft 500 up-and-down relatively immovably and relativelyturnably, and which drives up and down the first coupling section 501 tothereby drive the drive shaft 500 up and down; a driver 1002A whichdrives and controls the θ-turn driving motor 25A and the up-and-downdriver device 26A independently of each other; and a suction controlvalve 580 which controls the suction operation of the nozzle 10A. Thecomponent suction device of such a constitution is provided side by sidein a plural number on a mounting head 4C.

[0255] As shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, the drive shaft 500 has, in upperpart thereof, a spline shaft portion 500 a having a pair of recessedportions 521 at an interval of, for example, 180 degrees. Outside thespline shaft portion 500 a, are fitted a cylindrical second couplingsection 502 which has a pair of protrusions 520 for engaging with a pairof recessed portions 521 of the spline shaft portion 500 a and which isup-and-down relatively movable and relatively unturnable. Furtheroutside the second coupling section 502, is fitted a lower end portionof an elongate, cylindrical third coupling section 25C which isconnected relatively unturnably with a key 503 fitted into a keyway 523of the second coupling section 502. An upper end of the third couplingsection 25C is fixed to a turning shaft 540 of the θ-turn driving motor25A.

[0256] Therefore, as the turning shaft 540 of the θ-turn driving motor25A is driven to turn, the third coupling section 25C, the secondcoupling section 502 coupled to the third coupling section 25Crelatively unturnably, the drive shaft 500 having the spline shaftportion 500 a connected to the second coupling section 502 relativelyunturnably, and the nozzles 10A connected to the lower end of the driveshaft 500 integrally turn.

[0257] Also, the cylindrical first coupling section 501 connected to thedrive shaft 500 up-and-down relatively immovably and relatively turnablyis connected to the up-and-down driver device 26A via a drive arm 510.By the drive of the up-and-down driver devices 26A, the drive arm 510,the first coupling section 501 connected to the drive arm 510, the driveshaft 500 connected to the first coupling section 501 up-and-downrelatively immovably, and the nozzle 10A fixed to the lower end of thedrive shaft 500 integrally move up and down. The distance of this moveis, as shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, between an upper-end position H0 and alower-end position H1, for example, about 20 mm.

[0258] As shown above, the up-and-down driver device 26A is located notcoaxial with the drive shaft 500 but beside the drive shaft 500 so as tomove up and down the drive shaft 500 via the drive arm 510. Therefore,heat generated by the up-and-down movement of the up-and-down driverdevice 26A is less likely to be transferred to the drive shaft side, sothat the drive control by the drive shaft 500 can be enhanced and thatthe structure as a whole can be simplified.

[0259] The nozzles 10A are so arranged that the width of the componentsuction devices, i.e., the array pitch of the θ-turn driving motors 25A,the array pitch of the rectangular up-and-down driver devices 26A, andthe width of the rectangular drivers 1002A are a pitch distancecorresponding to the array pitch of a plurality of component feedsections of the component feed device, for example, component cassettes,trays, or the like. As a result of this, it becomes possible to oncelocate a plurality of nozzles 10A above a plurality of componentcassettes or trays and then move them down, thus making the nozzles 10to perform batch suction simultaneously. Thus, the width of the mountinghead 4C can be minimized by setting the widths of the individualrectangular motors 25A, 26A and rectangular drivers 1002A according tothe array pitch of the nozzles 10A. Also, when the rectangular motors ordrivers are fitted to the mounting head 4, it is possible to fix them incontact with one another by virtue of their rectangular shape, in whichcase the rigidity can be improved.

[0260] The θ-turn driving motor 25A has an encoder 25B on top thereof soas to be able to detect the turning angle of the turning shaft 540. Anoutput from the encoder 25B is fed to the driver 1002A, and the θ-turndriving motor 25A is driven and controlled by the drive shaft 500 at theturning angle based on the turning angle position of the nozzle 10A.

[0261] The up-and-down driver device 26A can be implemented by a voicecoil motor as an example. As shown in FIG. 26, the up-and-down driverdevices 26A is made up generally of a movable magnet 511 which can bemoved up and down by a pair of up-and-down extending linear guides 513and to which the drive arm 510 is fixed, four coils 512, and a linearscale 514 which detects the vertical position of the movable magnet 511with high precision. The vertical position information determined by thelinear scale 514 is fed to the driver 1002A, and the up-and-down driver26A is driven and controlled based on this positional information.

[0262] This third embodiment is characterized by the following features.

[0263] 1. A plurality of nozzles 10A are equipped with laterally opposedθ-motors 25A controllable independently of one another, respectively, asan example of the θ-turn driving motor 25A.

[0264] 2. In the constitution of the above paragraph 1, the nozzles 10Acan be moved up and down via the drive shafts

[0265] 3. In the constitution of the above paragraph 1, the nozzles 10Acan be moved up and down by the thin type voice coil motors (VCMs) as anexample of the up-and-down driver device.

[0266] 4. In the constitution of the above paragraphs 1 and 3, thedrivers 1002A that control the motors 25A, 26A are attached near theabove constitutions, where with a method of operating from the host inserial communications, the wiring can be saved by mounting the headcontroller on a movable section.

[0267] 5. In the constitutions of the above paragraphs 1 to 4, there issuch a characteristic arrangement (where ten nozzles 10A are adjusted toa minimum pitch of the component cassettes; by mounting the headcontroller on a movable section and by adjustment to the minimumcassette pitch, reduction in size and weight is implemented) that themotors 25A, 26A and the drivers 1002A are thinned so as to be adjustedto the width of the component cassettes as an example of the componentfeed section. As a result of this, the weight as a whole of the mountinghead 4C can be reduced to a half, and vibrations occurring with movementcan be reduced to a large extent.

[0268] 6. In the constitution of the above paragraph 5, the suctionopening-and-closing valve of the nozzle 10A is attached for each of thenozzles 10A, where the components can be sucked and placed independentlyor simultaneously. That is, with the head controller mounted on themovable section, high-speed machine operation is performed by severalI/O units.

[0269] 7. In the constitution of the above paragraph 1, it ischaracterized in that after the component suction and placing, one turnis made so that bearings 530, 531, 532, 533 or the like are prolonged inlife. That is, after the end of suction and before move to next step,the nozzle 10A is subjected to one turn, thereby prolonged in life.

[0270] This is explained below.

[0271] First, in the case where up-and-down moves and a θ turn areperformed when placement is performed after component suction andrecognition, as in the prior-art apparatuses, it is impossible to reducethe mounting cycle time because the two operations of the up-and-downmoves and the θ turn are performed. That is, since a plurality ofnozzles are turned with one θ-motor, the individual nozzles cannot beθ-turned to the respective placement positions before being recognized,and instead the up-and-down move and θ-turn are performed at the time ofplacing, thus making it unattainable to reduce the mounting cycle time.However, according to the third embodiment, after component suction andduring the move to the recognition position, individual nozzles can beθ-turned to the their respective placed-state positions and thenrecognized, and thereafter subjected corrective turns for the θ-turnpositions during move to the placing positions, and then componentplacing only by up-and-down move can be performed. Thus, reduction inthe mounting cycle time can be realized. Also, since the nozzles 10A canbe adjusted in placing orientation, i.e., to their θ-turn positionsbefore being recognized, so that the placing precision can be improved.

[0272] Next, in the case of prior-art apparatuses in which head-drivingactuators are mounted within the mounting head and drivers, which arecontrollers therefor, are mounted on the equipment main body, increasingthe number of head-driving shafts would cause the wiring for connectingthe heads and the equipment machine body to increase. However, in thethird embodiment, the motors adjusted to the pitch of the nozzles 10A ofthe mounting head 4C (laterally opposed θ-motors 25A as an example ofthe θ-turn driving motors and thin-type voice coil motors 26A as anexample of the up-and-down driver devices), as well as motor driverstherefor, are mounted on the mounting head 4C, and the conventional NCcontroller is mounted on the mounting head 4C, where the equipmentmachine body and the driver controller are communicated with each otherby wired or wireless communications. As a result of this, even if thenumber of nozzle shafts of the mounting head 4C is increased, the wiringbetween the equipment machine body and the mounting head 4C is notincreased.

[0273] Next, in the prior-art apparatuses, the θ-motors, being unable tobe coaxial with the center axes of the nozzles, and then the rotaryforces thereof are transferred to the center axes of the nozzles withrack and pinion or with timing belt, where large error factors such asbacklash are involved. That is, in the case where the nozzle pitch isadjusted to a minimum pitch of component cassettes, it would beimpossible to provide θ-motors for individual nozzles, respectively, andthe θ-turn is implemented by belt or by rack and pinion. As a result ofthis, turn errors such as backlashes of gears would be large. Incontrast to this, according to the third embodiment, the laterallyopposed θ-motors 25A are disposed coaxial with the nozzles 10A, andturns are transferred via the spline shafts 500. That is, the laterallyopposed θ-turn driving motors 25A serving as thin-type servomotors arelocated coaxial with the center axes of the individual nozzles 10A, bywhich turning force in the θ-direction can be transferred directly tothe nozzles 10A, so that turning errors can be reduced.

[0274] Also, in the prior-art constitution, as shown in FIG. 35, in thecase where the back turn for the nozzle 10, which is performed after theθ-turn from its initial angle position ORG to the placing angle positionX1 in order to return the nozzle 10 to the initial position, is set to aturn equal in angle value(−θ) and opposite in direction to the turn tothe placing angle position X1 (θ-turn) as shown in FIG. 36 for thepurpose of speedup of the cycle time, loads would be applied to the sameportions or same balls of the bearings, which causes the bearings to beshortened in life. Further, when the nozzle 10 is moved for correctionturn in the placing at 0°, it becomes more likely that fretting occursto the bearings, causing the bearings to be shortened in life. Incontrast to this, in the third embodiment, in the case where the backturn for the nozzle 10A, which is performed after the θ-turn from itsinitial angle position to the placing angle position in order to returnthe nozzle 10A to the initial position, is set to a turn of a (360°−θ)angle equal in direction to the turn to the placing angle position(θ-turn) as shown in FIGS. 37 and 38, by which the nozzle 10 is returnedto the initial angle position, the nozzle 10 is turned 360° in allcases, making use of all the balls of the bearings 530, 531, 532, 533 asshown in FIG. 26. As a result of this, the bearings 530, 531, 532, 533are subjected to one turn in all cases, so that loads are applieduniformly to all the balls, allowing the bearings 530, 531, 532, 533 tobe prolonged in life. It is noted that the bearings 530, 531 arebearings which rotatably support upper and lower portions of the turningshaft 540 of the θ-turn driving motor 25A. The bearings 532, 533 arebearings which rotatably support upper and lower portions of the thirdcoupling section 25C.

[0275] A θ-turn driving motor 25A according to a third embodiment of thepresent invention is explained below with reference to FIGS. 39 to 44.

[0276] Before the explanation of the θ-turn driving motors 25A accordingto the third embodiment of the present invention proceeds, aconventional brushless motor is first explained as an example.

[0277] The conventional brushless motor is so constructed that, as shownin FIG. 45, a rotor 101 is placed at the center, with an annular stator102 surrounding the rotor 101. The rotor 101 is magnetized to aplurality of poles peripherally. Each of teeth 102 a-102 f of the stator102 is wound with a coil 103, and fore ends of the teeth 102 a-102 f areclose to the outer periphery of the rotor 101 with a gap δ.

[0278] In this case, a case of three phase (UVW) is shown, where theposition of the rotor 101 is detected by a separate sensor (not shown),and energization timings to the coils 103 of individual phases, UVW, arecontrolled in response to the position of the rotor 101 so that arotating magnetic field is generated from the stator 102 to therebydrive the rotor 101 into rotation.

[0279] Also, there has conventionally been provided, in need for smallersize, a coreless motor in which, as shown in FIG. 46A, 46B, a corelessmotor is so constructed that coreless coils 103 are placed around arotor 101, with a stator yoke 104 placed on the outer periphery of thecoils 103, where a rotating magnetic field is generated to drive therotor 101 into rotation as in the case of FIG. 45.

[0280] However, the coreless motor is, on one hand, capable of beingdownsized, as compared with the normal brushless motor shown in FIG. 45,and on the other hand, poor at magnetic efficiency because of its havingno iron core, thus resulting in an issue that high torque output cannotbe achieved. Further, an attempt to obtain as high torque as possiblewould only cause the rotor 101 and the coils 103 to be made longer inlength in the axial direction of the rotor 101 (Y-axis direction), hencelow degree of freedom of design as it stands.

FIRST EXAMPLE

[0281] Thus, as a first example of the θ-turn driving motor 25Aaccording to the third embodiment of the present invention, its objectis to provide a brushless motor which can be downsized more than thebrushless motor shown in FIG. 45, and yet which is better at magneticefficiency and higher in torque output than the coreless motor.

[0282] FIGS. 39 to 42 show the brushless motor according to the thirdembodiment of the present invention.

[0283] The brushless motor according to the third embodiment of thepresent invention, as shown in FIG. 39, is assembled of a rotor 101,generally flat first, second stator blocks 105 a, 105 b, a holder body106, and a holder plate 107, a main part of which is shown in FIG. 40.

[0284] The rotor 101 is magnetized peripherally to a plurality of poles.Each of the first, second stator blocks 105 a, 105 b, as shown in FIG.41, is made by laminating a plurality of magnetic steel plates eachpunched out into a generally E-shape form, and having three teeth 108 a,108 b, 108 c. Fore ends of the teeth are formed into a circular arcshape running along the outer periphery of the rotor 101. Each of theteeth 108 a, 108 b, 108 c is wound with a coil 103, where portions ofthe teeth at which the coils 103 are wound are referred to tooth windingportions 109. Winding grooves 110 are formed at the tooth windingportions 109 of the teeth 108 a, 108 c.

[0285] Concretely, fore ends of the teeth 108 a-108 c are so formed thatcircular-arc surfaces confronting the outer periphery of the rotor havea symmetrical 60° slot pitch as shown in FIG. 41.

[0286] In the electric circuit, the position of the rotor 101 isdetected by a separate sensor (not shown) such as magnetic sensor, andenergization timings to the coils of individual phases, UVW, arecontrolled in response to the position of the rotor 101 so that arotating magnetic field is generated from the stators 105 a, 105 b tothereby drive the rotor 101 into rotation.

[0287] Like this, the stator has a thickness by laminating magneticsteel plates along the axial direction of the rotor 101 (the Y-directionin FIG. 41), with the teeth 108 a-108 c parallel to one another, and theshape along the end face of the rotor is such a flat type one that afirst length L1 formed by connecting 0° and 180° to each other about theaxis (X-axis direction shown in FIG. 41) is shorter than a second lengthL2 formed by connecting 90° and 270° to each other (Z-axis directionshown in FIG. 41). Thus, this brushless motor is smaller in size, andsuccessful in magnetic efficiency because of no coreless motor, ascompared with the conventional brushless motor shown in FIG. 45.

[0288] Further, larger output torque can be attained by setting longerthe tooth winding portions 109 of the teeth 108 a-108 c in the Z-axisdirection as shown in FIG. 41 to thereby enhance the magnetic field, orby forming longer the rotor 101 and the stator blocks 105 a, 105 b inthe Y-axis direction as shown in FIG. 41, wherever it is at least eitherone of these two ways. Thus, whereas the degree of freedom for designingthe conventional coreless motor shown in FIG. 46 is in one way of theY-axis direction, the degree of freedom of design can be given in twoways of the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction in this thirdembodiment, so that necessary torque can be outputted with anappropriate form suited to applications.

[0289] Also, in the case where the winding grooves 110 to serve as thetooth winding portions 109 are formed thicknesswise (in the Y-axisdirection) on a side surface 111 crossing the direction of the firstlength of the first, second stator blocks 105 a, 105 b as describedabove, and where an outermost peripheral surface 112 of the coils 103wound on the winding grooves 110 is positioned so as to be flush withthe side surface 111 or inner than the side surface, the width of thebrushless motor in the X-axis direction can be further reduced.

SECOND EXAMPLE

[0290]FIG. 43 shows a brushless motor, which is a second example of theθ-turn driving motor 25A according to the third embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0291] The flat-type stators of the brushless motor according to thissecond example are constructed by first, second stator blocks 105 a, 105b that come into contact with each other at a boundary that connects 0°and 180° about the axis. This second example, as shown in FIG. 43,differs from the first example only in that the stator is constructed bya single stator block 112, the rest of the constitution being the sameas in the first example.

THIRD EXAMPLE

[0292]FIG. 44 shows a brushless motor, which is a third example of theθ-turn driving motor 25A according to the third embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0293] Whereas first, second stator blocks 105 a, 105 b of the brushlessmotor according to the third example have been constructed by formingthree teeth 108 a-108 c in each one block, it is also possible thattooth blocks 113 a, 113 b, 113 c as shown in FIG. 44A are come intocontact with and joined together at joints 114 so as to form magneticpaths at both end portions of the tooth winding portions 109 as shown inFIG. 44B. Otherwise, the brushless motor is the same as the thirdembodiment.

[0294] In this case, the work of winding the coils on the tooth windingportions 109 becomes easier.

[0295] As shown above, in the brushless motor as a θ-turn driving motor25A according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the foreends of the individual teeth of the stators are formed into circular-arcsurfaces extending along the outer periphery of the rotor, and theindividual teeth winding portions are formed parallel to one another.Thus, as compared with the conventional brushless motor in which therotor is surrounded by an annular stator, the brushless motor can bemade smaller in size than the brushless motor shown in FIG. 45, and yetthe brushless motor can be made better in magnetic efficiency and higherin torque output than coreless motors.

[0296] An up-and-down driver device 26A according to the thirdembodiment of the present invention is described below with reference toFIGS. 47 to 52.

[0297] Before the explanation of the up-and-down driver device 26Aaccording to the third embodiment proceeds, a conventional voice-coiltype linear motor is first described as an example in terms of itsissues.

[0298]FIG. 53 shows a basic voice-coil type linear motor.

[0299] In this voice-coil type linear motor, magnets 201 a, 201 b asstationary-side ones are located on the lower side, and a frame coil 202is located on its upper side with gaps from the magnets 201 a, 201 b soas to be movable left and right in this case of FIG. 53. In the magnet201 a, its face opposite to the frame coil 202 is magnetized to the Npole. In the magnet 201 b, its face opposite to the frame coil 202 ismagnetized to the S pole.

[0300] When electric current is passed through the frame coil 202 in thedirection of arrows, the magnetic action of the magnets 201 a, 201 b anda magnetic field generated in a vertical interval 202 v of the framecoil 202 causes the movable-side frame coil 202 to be driven by adistance Y to the right side, in this case, against the magnets 201 a,201 b.

[0301]FIG. 54 shows a case of three phases (UVW), where a magnet 201 amagnetized to the N pole, a magnet 201 b magnetized to the S pole, amagnet 201 c magnetized to the N pole, and a magnet 201 d magnetized tothe S pole, all of which are so magnetized at their upper surfaces, areplaced at specified intervals on the stationary side, and over thesemembers, frame coils 202 a, 202 b, 202 c are located on the movableside, movable left and right in this FIG. 54, with gaps provided to themagnets 201 a-201 d on the upper side.

[0302] When electric current is passed through the frame coils 202 a,202 b, 202 c, the same magnetic action as described above causes themovable side to be driven, in this case, laterally.

[0303] As another example of the prior art, magnets 201 a, 201 b arefitted on both sides of a center pole 203 as shown in FIG. 55, a yoke204 is provided so as to surround outer peripheral portion thereof, anda frame coil 205 is disposed on the yoke 204, which is the movable side,so as to surround the center pole 203. An attraction-and-repulsionaction of a magnetic field generated by passage of electric currentthrough the frame coil 205 and generated magnetic fields A1, A2 of themagnets 201 a, 201 b causes the movable side to move in a directionvertical to the drawing sheet of FIG. 55.

[0304] In the above structures of the prior art as described above, inall cases, span section X of the frame coils 202 a-202 c and 205 do notcontribute to the thrust but result in a loss. Also, in the type shownin FIG. 55, the magnetic flux is concentrated to the center pole 203 sothat magnetic saturation is more likely to occur, posing an issue thathigh torque output is unattainable.

[0305] The up-and-down driver device 26A according to the thirdembodiment of the present invention is purposed to provide a linearmotor of higher thrust than conventional counterparts. That is, theup-and-down driver device 26A according to this third embodiment is alinear motor which is driven into slide in such a direction thatstationary side and movable side located in opposition to each other areprevented from changing in the gap of the opposition by the magneticaction.

FIRST EXAMPLE

[0306] FIGS. 47 to 50 show a linear motor which is a first example ofthe up-and-down driver device 26A according to the third embodiment ofthe present invention. It is noted that although the linear motor foractual use is made up of four coils 512 for larger thrust, the followingdescription is made on a case of two coils. Also in the followingdescription, the coils 512 correspond to the first, second teeth 209 a,209 b. A pair of linear guides 513 correspond to the guide rails 214 a,214 b. A movable-side member (e.g., the outer yoke 206) corresponds tothe movable magnet 511.

[0307] This linear motor according to the first example is aninternal-magnet type linear motor, in which frame coils 207 a, 207 b areprovided inside an outer yoke 206 on the stationary side. Guide rails214 a, 214 b are provided on side faces of the outer yoke 206, andsliders 208 a, 208 b are movably fitted to the guide rails 214 a, 214 b.Support arms 210 a, 210 b of an inner yoke 209, which is the movableside, are attached with screws 215 a on one-side ends of the sliders 208a, 208 b as shown in FIG. 48, and the inner yoke 209 is supported so asto be slidable in such directions as to pass through the cylindricalouter yoke 206 (directions of arrows J1, J2). Also, a back yoke 216 isattached with screws 215 b to the other-side ends of the sliders 208 a,208 b.

[0308] The inner yoke 209 is of such a U-shape that the first, secondteeth 209 a, 209 b are connected to each other with a base-end magneticcommunicating portion B. As shown also in FIG. 49, S poles that areone-side poles of the first, second magnets 211 a, 211 b are stuck toupper and lower surfaces of the first tooth 209 a, respectively, so thatthe upper and lower surfaces are made into N poles, while N poles thatare the other-side poles of third, fourth magnets 211 c, 211 d are stuckto upper and lower surfaces of the second tooth 209 b, respectively, sothat the upper and lower surfaces are made into S poles.

[0309] The frame coil 207 a is provided inside the outer yoke 206 so asto surround the exterior of the first tooth 209 a with a gap, and theframe coil 207 b is provided inside the outer yoke 206 so as to surroundthe exterior of the second tooth 209 b with a gap.

[0310] Further, fore ends of the first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b areinserted into recessed portions 217 a, 217 b of the back yoke 216 andfurther engaged with screws 215 c as shown in FIG. 48, where the backyoke 216 serves as the magnetic communicating portion B. In this way,the linear motor according to the first example is assembled.

[0311] With the constitution as described above, as shown in FIG. 50, amagnetic flux φ1 radiated from the N pole of the first magnet 211 aflows toward the second tooth 209 b adjoined by the outer yoke 206,flowing into the S pole of the third magnet 211 c, further flowing fromthe N pole of the third magnet 211 c into the second tooth 209 b,further flowing from the second tooth 209 b via the magneticcommunicating portion B into the first tooth 209 a, reaching the S poleof the first magnet 211 a. The magnetic flux φ1 flows in circulation.

[0312] Similarly, a magnetic flux φ2 radiated from the N pole of thesecond magnet 211 b flows toward the second tooth 209 b adjoined by theouter yoke 206, flowing into the S pole of the fourth magnet 211 d,further flowing from the N pole of the fourth magnet 211 d into thesecond tooth 209 b,further flowing from the second tooth 209 b via themagnetic communicating portion B into the first tooth 209 a, reachingthe S pole of the second magnet 211 b. The magnetic flux φ2 flows incirculation.

[0313] In this state, with electric current passed through the framecoils 207 a, 207 b in a direction shown in FIG. 50, magnetic fieldsgenerated by the frame coils 207 a, 207 b act on the magnetic fluxes φ1,φ2, causing the inner yoke 209 to be moved along the direction of arrowJ1.

[0314] In this connection, the frame coils 207 a, 207 b each have anopening face having such a rectangular shape that a length L1 of itsside line opposite to the magnet is longer than a length L2 of its spansection X, thus allowing large thrust to be obtained. Still, because theinner yoke 209 has driving force generated at the two members of thefirst, second teeth 209 a, 209 b, thrust larger than that of theprior-art system shown in FIG. 55 can be obtained.

[0315] Further, the first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b has less tendencyof such magnetic saturation as seen in the constitution of FIG. 55, thuscapable of obtaining thrust that changes nearly proportionally over awide range of strength of magnetic fields generated by the frame coils207 a, 207 b. More concretely, in FIG. 55 that shows a prior-artexample, magnetic fluxes A1, A2 circulatively flow from the yoke 204into a small side face 213 of the center pole 203, resulting in magneticsaturation. On the other hand, in the first example, as shown in FIG.50, magnetic fluxes φ1, φ2 aggressively flow into the upper and lowerfaces (surfaces on which the first to fourth magnets are arranged)larger in area than the side faces of the first, second teeth 209 a, 209b, thus allowing such magnetic saturation as described above to bereduced to a great extent.

[0316] In this first example, the magnetic communicating portion B hasbeen provided at both ends of the first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b.However, by taking into consideration the assemblability, the magneticcommunicating portion B may also be provided at only the base ends ofthe first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b, with the other opened.

SECOND EXAMPLE

[0317]FIGS. 51 and 52 show a linear motor which is a second example ofthe up-and-down driver device 26A according to the third embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0318] This linear motor according to the second example is anexterior-magnet type linear motor, in which an outer yoke 206 movesrelative to an inner yoke 209.

[0319] In the inner yoke 209 having first, second teeth 209 a, 209 bboth ends of which are connected to each other with the magneticcommunicating portion B, the outer yoke 206 externally surrounding thefirst, second teeth 209 a, 209 b is supported so as to be slidable inthe longitudinal direction of the first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b(direction of arrow J) with a gap.

[0320] Inside the outer yoke 206, first, second, third, fourth magnets211 a, 211 b, 211 c, 211 d are provided opposite to both faces of theteeth so that the faces of the magnets opposed to the teeth are of asingle pole different in polarity from the faces opposed to theirrespective adjoining teeth.

[0321] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 52, the S poles of the first,second magnets 211 a, 211 b are stuck to the opposed faces of the firsttooth 209 a inside the outer yoke 206 so that one side of the firsttooth 209 a becomes one polarity, which is the N pole. The N poles ofthe third, fourth magnets 211 c, 211 d are stuck to the opposed faces ofthe second tooth 209 b inside the outer yoke 206 so that one side of thesecond tooth 209 b becomes the other polarity, which is the S pole.

[0322] A coil 212 a is arranged and concentratedly wound on the firsttooth 209 a, and a coil 212 b is arranged and concentratedly wound onthe second tooth 209 b, where a gap δ is formed between the coil 212 aand the first, second magnets 211 a, 211 b and between the coil 212 band the third, fourth magnets 211 c, 211 d.

[0323] As a result of such a constitution as described above, magneticfluxes φ1, φ2 radiated from the N poles of the first, second magnets 211a, 211 b flow through the first tooth 209 a toward the magneticcommunicating portion B, flowing from the second tooth 209 b into the Spoles of the third, fourth magnets 211 c, 211 d, thus reaching from theN poles of the third, fourth magnets 211 c, 211 d via the outer yoke 206to the S poles of the first, second magnets 211 a, 211 b. Thus, themagnetic fluxes φ1, φ2 flow in circulation.

[0324] In this state, with electric current passed through the framecoils 212 a, 212 b, magnetic fields generated by the frame coils 212 a,212 b act on the magnetic fluxes φ1, φ2, causing the inner yoke 209 tobe moved along the direction of arrow J responsive to the direction ofthe current passage.

[0325] In this connection, the first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b eachhave such a rectangular shape that a length L3 of its side line oppositeto the corresponding one of the first to fourth magnets 211 a-211 d islonger than a length L4 of a connection side connecting the oppositesides, so that the coils 212 a, 212 b wound on these first, second teeth209 a, 209 b to be relatively shorter in their span sections X. Thus, asin the first example, a thrust larger than that of the prior-art systemshown in FIG. 55 can be obtained.

[0326] Although both ends of the teeth 209 a, 209 b have been connectedto each other with the magnetic communicating portion B in this secondexample, one-side ends thereof may be opened.

[0327] In addition, although the two of the first, second teeth 209 a,209 b have been provided as the teeth of the inner yoke 209 in theforegoing examples, yet three or more number of teeth may also beprovided in parallel with similar constitution.

[0328] As shown above, with the use of the linear motor of theup-and-down driver device 26A according to the third embodiment of thepresent invention, thrust higher than that of conventional counterpartscan be attained by the combination of an inner yoke which has aplurality of teeth with a magnet attached to each of the teeth, and anouter yoke in which frame coils are attached.

[0329] Also, with the use of the linear motor of the up-and-down driverdevice 26A according to the third embodiment of the present invention,thrust higher than that of conventional counterparts can be attained bythe combination of an inner yoke which has a plurality of teeth with acoil wound on each of the teeth, and an outer yoke in which magnets areattached.

[0330] In addition, combining any arbitrary embodiments from among theforegoing various embodiments, as required, makes it possible to producetheir individual effects.

[0331] According to the present invention, actuators, or a nozzleup-and-down device and a nozzle turning device, capable of performingup-and-down operations and turn correction for every component suctiondevice, i.e., every suction nozzle, can be provided, so that loads onone actuator can be reduced. A mounting head on which such actuators aremounted can fulfill an improvement in operating acceleration withoutincreasing the size of the motor. As a result of this, throughput can beimproved.

[0332] Also, since the nozzles can be subjected to turning operationsabout the axes at any arbitrary timings, independently of one another,by their respective nozzle turning devices, it is possible that withcomponents whose placing posture angle is largely different from thecomponent posture angle at the component feed position by 90°, 180° orthe like, components can preliminarily be turned to their placingposture angles by driving the nozzle turning devices after componentsucking and holding is performed by the nozzles and before componentrecognition is performed. As a result of this, all the components arelocated at their placing posture angles before the componentrecognition, thus reducing the turning amount for correction subsequentto the recognition so that adjustment to the placing posture angles canbe accomplished with proportionally higher precision. Also, effects ofdistortions due to thermal changes of the nozzles or the like can beminimized, so that the placing precision can be improved.

[0333] Also, based on information as to the nozzles and the thicknessesof components to be sucked by the nozzles, up-and-down amounts for theindividual nozzles by the nozzle up-and-down devices are adjusted bytaking into consideration the thicknesses of the components to be suckedfor the individual nozzles. Thus, even with largely differentthicknesses of components, performing the batch suction of a pluralityof components by a plurality of nozzles never causes damage to thecomponents. Also, based on the information as to the nozzles and thethicknesses of components to be sucked by the nozzles, up-and-downamounts for the individual nozzles are adjusted by the nozzleup-and-down devices so that the bottom faces of the components sucked bythe individual nozzles are adjusted to a uniform height or to within acertain range. By doing so, batch recognition of components that arelargely different in height from one another is enabled.

[0334] Further, since the nozzles can be subjected to turning operation,about the axes at any arbitrary timings independently of one another, itis possible that with components whose placing posture angle is largelydifferent from the component posture angle at the component feedposition by 90°, 180° or the like, components can preliminarily beturned to their placing posture angles by driving the nozzle turningdevices after component sucking and holding is performed by the nozzlesand before component recognition is performed. As a result of this, anydecrease in mounting cycle time can be prevented as compared with thecase where the turning operation is performed after the recognition andbefore the placing.

[0335] Further, with the nozzle up-and-down device arranged below thenozzle turning device, turning drive of the nozzle turning device wouldcause the nozzle up-and-down device to turn along with the nozzle, inwhich case the wiring lines for the nozzle up-and-down device and thelike would be complicated in structure. However, in the presentinvention, since the nozzle up-and-down device is located above thenozzle turning device, turning drive of the nozzle turning device doesnot cause the nozzle up-and-down device to turn along with the nozzle,in which case such issues as described above do not occur.

[0336] Also, in the case where the nozzle up-and-down device is sostructured that the magnetic-circuit forming member and the mechanismforming member are dividedly provided, those members can be made ofdifferent materials and combined together so that the magnetic-circuitforming member alone is made of steel material and the mechanism formingmember is made of aluminum alloy or the like, thus making it possible toreduce the weight and thickness of the device.

[0337] Although the present invention has been fully described inconnection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to theaccompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes andmodifications are apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes andmodifications are to be understood as included within the scope of thepresent invention as defined by the appended claims unless they departtherefrom.

1. A component suction device for sucking a component (20) which is tobe mounted onto a circuit-forming body (2), comprising: a suction nozzle(10) for sucking and holding the component; a nozzle turning device (25)for holding the suction nozzle and turning the suction nozzle; and anozzle up-and-down device (26) which is located upward of the nozzleturning device and which is connected to the suction nozzle to serve formoving up and down the suction nozzle along an axial direction of thesuction nozzle.
 2. A component suction device according to claim 1,wherein the nozzle up-and-down device (26) is implemented by anup-and-down linear motor (32) for moving up and down the nozzle turningdevice (25) along the axis of the suction nozzle, and wherein the nozzleturning device is moved up and down by driving the up-and-down linearmotor, whereby the suction nozzle is moved up and down along the axis ofthe suction nozzle.
 3. A component suction device according to any oneof claims 1 to 3, wherein a coil (26 c) is up-and-down movable relativeto a magnetic-circuit forming member (26 a) fixed to a mechanism formingmember (26 b) of the linear motor (32) and wherein the nozzle turningdevice is fixed to a support member (26 s) that supports the coil.
 4. Acomponent mounting apparatus comprising a mounting head (4) having aplurality of component suction devices (15) as described in any one ofclaims 1 to 3, wherein the nozzle turning devices (25) of the pluralityof component suction devices are driven individually and independentlyof one another, and the nozzle up-and-down devices (26) of the pluralityof component suction devices are driven individually and independentlyof one another.
 5. A component mounting apparatus comprising: a mountinghead (4) having a plurality of component suction devices (15) asdescribed in any one of claims 1 to 3; and a main controller (1000) forcontrolling operations of: turning components, which have been suckedand held by the suction nozzles, respectively, of the plurality ofcomponent suction devices, to placing posture angles of the individualcomponents by drive of the nozzle turning devices (25); thereafter,recognizing postures of the individual components that have been suckedand held by the suction nozzles and turned to their placing postureangles; correcting the postures based on recognition results; andthereafter mounting the individual components onto the circuit-formingbody (2).
 6. A component mounting apparatus according to claim 4,wherein the main controller (1000) controls to simultaneously turn thecomponents sucked and held by the suction nozzles, respectively, toplacing posture angles of the individual components by drive of thenozzle turning devices (25).
 7. A component mounting apparatuscomprising: a mounting head (4) having a plurality of component suctiondevices (15) as described in any one of claims 1 to 3; and a maincontroller (1000) for controlling operations of: simultaneously turningcomponents, which have been sucked and held by the suction nozzles,respectively, of the plurality of component suction devices, to placingposture angles of the individual components by drive of the nozzleturning devices (25); thereafter, placing the individual components,which have been turned to their placing posture angles, onto thecircuit-forming body (2).
 8. A component mounting apparatus comprising:a mounting head (4) having a plurality of component suction devices (15)as described in any one of claims 1 to 3; and a main controller (1000)for controlling operation of: immediately after sucking and holdingcomponents by the suction nozzles of the plurality of component suctiondevices, turning the individual components to their respective placingposture angles by drive of the nozzle turning devices (25) of theindividual component suction devices individually and independently ofone another; and thereafter placing the individual components, whichhave been turned to their placing posture angles, onto thecircuit-forming body (2).
 9. A component mounting method for sucking andholding components (20), which are to be mounted onto a circuit-formingbody (2), with a plurality of suction nozzles (10) and thereafterplacing the sucked and held components onto the circuit-forming body,the method comprising: turning the individual components, which havebeen sucked and held respectively by the suction nozzles, to placingposture angles of the components individually and independently of oneanother; thereafter, recognizing postures of the individual componentsthat have been sucked and held by the suction nozzles and turned totheir respective placing posture angles; and thereafter, correcting thepostures based on recognition results and then placing the individualcomponents onto the circuit-forming body (2).
 10. A component mountingmethod according to claim 9, wherein in turning the individualcomponents, which have been sucked and held respectively by the suctionnozzles, to placing posture angles of the components individually andindependently of one another, the components, which have been sucked andheld respectively by the plurality of suction nozzles, aresimultaneously turned to the placing posture angles of the individualcomponents.
 11. A component mounting method according to claim 9,wherein in turning the individual components, which have been sucked andheld respectively by the suction nozzles, to placing posture angles ofthe components individually and independently of one another, theindividual components are turned to their respective placing postureangles individually and independently of one another, immediately afterthe sucking and holding of the components by the suction nozzles.
 12. Acomponent mounting apparatus comprising: a mounting head (4) having aplurality of component suction devices (15) as described in any one ofclaims 1 to 3; a main controller (1000) which is located on acomponent-mounting-apparatus main body and which controls componentmounting operation; a head controller (1001) which is located on themounting head and connected to the main controller (1000) to performone-to-one asynchronous communications in serial connection with themain controller in association with drive-control related information;and a plurality of servo drivers (1002) which are located on themounting head and connected to the head controller and which performone-to-multi synchronous communications in serial connection with thehead controller in association with drive-control related informationand thus drive and control the nozzle up-and-down devices (26) of theindividual component suction devices based on resulted drive-controlrelated information obtained from the head controller.
 13. A componentmounting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of servodrivers have addresses different from one another; and the drive-controlrelated information comprises: drive-amount information containingaddresses of the servo drivers, and information as to drive amounts forthe nozzle up-and-down device or the nozzle turning device; and anoperation start signal to be communicated at a timing different fromthat of the drive-amount information, wherein after the drive-controlrelated information has been received by the servo drivers having theaddresses, the servo drivers, upon receiving the operation start signal,exert control so that the nozzle up-and-down device or the nozzleturning device is driven based on the drive-amount information.
 14. Acomponent mounting apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 8,wherein after the components are sucked and held by their correspondingsuction nozzles of the plurality of component suction devices and beforethe component recognition is started, the individual nozzle up-and-downdevices are driven to move the suction nozzles up and down so thatbottom faces of the individual components are aligned.
 15. A componentsuction device for sucking a component (20) which is to be mounted ontoa circuit-forming body (2), comprising: a drive shaft (500) which isup-and-down movable and rotatable about its axis; a suction nozzle (10A)which is fitted at a lower end of the drive shaft so as to be relativelyunturnable and up-and-down relatively immovable and which can suck andhold the component; a θ-turn driving motor (25A) which is connected toan upper portion of the drive shaft so as to be up-and-down relativelymovable and relatively unturnable and which turns the drive shaft aboutits axis; and an up-and-down driver device (26A) which has a firstcoupling section (501) connected to the drive shaft up-and-downrelatively immovably and relatively turnably and which drives up anddown the first coupling section to thereby drive the drive shaft up anddown.
 16. A component suction device according to claim 15, wherein thedrive shaft is provided in a plural number and each of the drive shaftsis equipped with the up-and-down driver device and the θ-turn drivingmotor, and wherein array pitches of the up-and-down driver devices andthe θ-turn driving motors are equal to an array pitch of the suctionnozzles and further equal to an array pitch of a plurality of componentfeed sections of a component feed device which feeds the components tobe sucked and held by the suction nozzles.
 17. A component suctiondevice according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the up-and-down driverdevice is a linear motor.
 18. A component suction device according toany one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the θ-turn driving motor is abrushless motor.
 19. A component suction device according to any one ofclaims 15 to 18, further comprising a suction control valve (580) forcontrolling suction operation of the nozzle.
 20. A component suctiondevice according to claim 18, wherein the brushless motor comprises: arotor which is supported so as to be axially turnable and which ismagnetized to a plurality of poles peripherally; and a stator in which afore end portion of teeth having a coil wound around a tooth windingportion is opposed to an outer periphery of the rotor, so that the rotoris turned along with a rotating magnetic field of the stator, andwherein the fore end portion of each of the teeth of the stator isshaped into a circular-arc surface extending along the outer peripheryof the rotor, and the tooth winding portions are formed parallel to oneanother.
 21. A component suction device according to claim 20, whereinin the brushless motor, the stator is so formed that the circular-arcsurfaces of the fore end portions of the teeth confronting the outerperiphery of the rotor have a symmetrical slot pitch.
 22. A componentsuction device according to claim 20 or 21, wherein in the brushlessmotor, the stator has a thickness along the axis of the rotor and hassuch a flat shape along an end face of the rotor that a first lengthformed by connecting 0° and 180° to each other about the axis is shorterthan a second length formed by connecting 90° and 270° to each other.23. A component suction device according to claim 22, wherein in thebrushless motor, the flat-type stator is formed of first, second statorblocks which contact each other at a boundary of connection between the0° and 180° about the axis.
 24. A component suction device according toclaim 23, wherein in the brushless motor, each stator block of the firststator block and the second stator is composed of a plurality of toothblocks which are joined together so that a magnetic path is formed bybase end portions of their tooth winding portions.
 25. A componentsuction device according to claim 24, wherein in the brushless motor,the flat-type stator is formed of a single stator block.
 26. A componentsuction device according to claim 24, wherein in the brushless motor,the flat-type stator has grooves which serve as the tooth windingportion and which are formed thicknesswise in a side surface of thestator crossing a direction of the first length, where an outermostperipheral surface of the coil wound on the grooves is positioned so asto be flush with the side surface or inner than the side surface.
 27. Acomponent suction device according to claim 17, wherein the linear motorincludes: a plurality of frame coils provided inside a cylindrical outeryoke on a stationary side; an inner yoke having a plurality of teeth inwhich a magnetic communicating portion is formed at at least one end soas to pass through the frame coils; and magnets provided on bothsurfaces of each tooth so that teeth in which faces opposed to the framecoils have a single polarity adjoin to each other in polarity differentfrom each other, where a magnetic flux radiated from a specific magnetout of the magnets flows to an adjacent tooth via the outer yoke,passing through the magnetic communicating portion, and flowing throughthe tooth on which the specific magnet is provided, and thus flowingback to the specific magnet, and wherein with an electric currentsupplied to the frame coil, a movable side composed of the magnets andthe inner yoke moves longitudinally of the teeth.
 28. A componentsuction device according to claim 27, wherein in the linear motor, theinner yoke is U-shaped.
 29. A component suction device according toclaim 27, wherein in the linear motor, the frame coil has an openingface having such a rectangular shape that a length of its side lineopposite to the magnet is longer than a length of its span section. 30.A component suction device according to claim 28, wherein the linearmotor includes: an inner yoke having a plurality of teeth in which amagnetic communicating portion is formed at at least one end thereof; anouter yoke which externally surrounds the plurality of tooth; magnetsprovided opposite to both faces of the teeth inside the outer yoke sothat their faces of the magnets opposed to the teeth are of a singlepole and the faces opposed to their respective adjoining teeth aredifferent in polarity from each other; coils wound on the individualteeth of the inner yoke; a magnetic flux radiated from a specific magnetout of the magnets flows to an adjacent tooth via the outer yoke,passing through the magnetic communicating portion, and flowing throughthe tooth opposing the specific magnet, and thus flowing back to thespecific magnet, and wherein with an electric current supplied to thecoil, a movable side composed of the magnets and the outer yoke moves ina longitudinal direction of the teeth.
 31. A component suction deviceaccording to claim 30, wherein in the linear motor, the teeth each havesuch a rectangular shape that a length of its side line opposite to themagnet is longer than a length of a connection side connecting theopposite side lines to each other.